The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer
by Deandra
Summary: The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer. [Theodred's travels with Freahelm.] Part 78 of the Elfwine Chronicles.
1. Chapter 1

_**Part 78 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes.**_

_**A/N: I've been considering how to do this with Theodred off seeing the world. Since it happens somewhat outside the usual basis of the Elfwine Chronicles, I am creating a subset called The Adventures of Theodred. I will probably write them in a chronological order and just keep adding chapters as they come along. That seems the simplest and least confusing way of doing it. This story arc begins with the story "Partings", and then continues here.**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer.**

**(April, 43 IV)**

The two men crashed side by side through the underbrush, weaving around shrubs and trees. They could hear their pursuer bellowing with fury, far too close on their heels. Their breathing was ragged and their limbs heavy with exertion, but with a spurt, one managed to pull slightly ahead of his companion. Unexpectedly, they reached a steep embankment, and there was no time or room to stop. In an instant, the two plunged over the side and began tearing a painful swath to the bottom. Their pursuer was more fortunate, avoiding the tumble. Apparently he decided they weren't worth his further trouble, and with a last snort in their direction – some might have claimed there was a note of derision in it – he retreated back into the forest.

After what seemed an interminable fall, the two came to rest in a pile of leaves and debris at the bottom of the hillside, out of breath, scraped, bruised, but essentially in one piece. Realizing they were no longer in danger, they lay catching their breath, their eyes shut. After several minutes, one let out a mirthless laugh, demanding, "Promise me you will not write home about this."

"Whyever not?" his companion asked innocently, a wicked twinkle hidden behind his closed eyelids.

"One, it is embarrassing; two, our mothers will think our activities too dangerous and insist we come home; three, our fathers will assume we are incompetent at defending ourselves – they may be right – and; four, we will be a laughingstock if anyone learns we were bested by a wild boar! Do NOT write home about this, Theodred!"

The two broke up into laughter, and it took some time before Theodred was able to concede, "Valid points, all, my friend. I think this will be confined to the pages of my journal and not shared!"

They lay there a bit longer, allowing their breathing to return to normal, before carefully sitting up and evaluating their injuries. Nothing too serious presented itself, though clearly they would be doing some mending tonight. Slowly they stood, grinned at one another and strode over to the nearby stream to wash off the worst of the dirt they had accumulated. Slightly cleaner, definitely wetter, they struck off around the hill looking for an easier path back up, so they could retrieve their weapons and return to their horses.

xxxxx

Freahelm stirred his stew as he stared pensively into the campfire. Nearby, Theodred was busily recording the events of the day in his journal, just putting the finishing touches on a sketch of them tumbling down the hill while the angry boar snarled triumphantly at them from the top.

"What day is this?" Freahelm suddenly queried.

"The twentieth of April. Why?" Theodred didn't look up from what he was doing.

"That dance is in two days. Do you wish to return to Mundburg for it? I rather fancy those wonderful baths in the Steward's house...and some female company. You are a fine friend, but you have your limitations!"

Theodred chuckled as he set aside the journal and pencil. "Likewise!" He sat silently for several moments, then nodded, "We could do that. And then I was thinking we might head for Dol Amroth. Have you ever seen the sea?"

Freahelm shook his head, answering, "I have always wanted to do so, but never had the chance."

"I was thinking of having my uncle Amrothos teach us to sail. He says there are numerous small islands not too far offshore that we could explore a bit. And you really must try some seafood." He rolled his eyes with pleasure at the thought. "Crab, lobster, scallops, clams! You are in for a treat. We could base there for awhile and see what there is to be seen. Maybe even venture into Linhir to visit with Caranhir and Morwen. What say you?"

His friend nodded agreeably, "Sounds good. Me, a sailor! Now there is something I _will_ write home about!"

Theodred stiffly leaned forward and stirred the fire, then gave a wide yawn. Freahelm grinned and reached for Theodred's plate, plunging them into the leather bucket of water nearby. Once they were rinsed reasonably clean, they stoked the fire and crawled into their tent for the night.

In the darkness, Theodred lay on his back, his arms crossed behind his head, and thought of home. He hadn't expected to miss his family so much as he did. He had been away from home before, for longer periods than this, but perhaps the difference was that then he had known he would soon be returning to Meduseld. Now his return was open-ended, and it might be quite some time before he saw them again. Perhaps seeing the family at Dol Amroth and his sister in Linhir would ease the ache in his heart a bit.

Still, he knew nothing would quite ease his longing to see his parents again. He adored them, and it had been more difficult than he let on to choose this course. Both had been a steadying influence all his years, as well as shining examples of what he wanted his life and his marriage to be. He gave a soft sigh. First, though, he had to find his life...and his wife...before either was possible. Things had never been so clear cut for him as for his siblings. Both Elfwine and Theomund had always known what they wanted to do with themselves, or in Elfwine's case, what he must do.

But Theodred had never found his interest completely held by any particular endeavor. He had soldiered, and did reasonably well at it, but he was not eager to make it a lifelong pursuit. He did not have any special talents and skills as Theomund had from which to make a living. He supposed he could allow himself to be made an ambassador for the king, but socializing with puffed up nobles and listening to interminable windbags had never appealed to him. Politics in general had never appealed to him. No, that likely wasn't a direction he would wish to go.

He gave another sigh and turned on his side. Perhaps something would strike his fancy during his travels. For now, there was nothing he could do to change his circumstances. If all else failed, he would return home and _be_ a soldier. It wasn't preferable, but at least he knew he could do it if he had to. Forcing the turmoiled thoughts from his mind, he finally drifted to sleep.

xxxxx

"Well, well," Theodred murmured, and Freahelm turned to look at him.

Following his friend's gaze to a party of nobles, he asked, "What?"

"We have not often had representatives from Dale join us at these gatherings. It has been some four years since I last recall their presence. I traveled with my parents to Minas Tirith for a conference, and Bard the Second was present. If I am not mistaken, the two younger women are his granddaughters and the older man their father. I never met his grandson, Gird."

After studying them a moment, Freahelm grinned. "It would seem they have attractive women in Dale, my friend! Perhaps we ought to consider a visit!"

With a chuckle, Theodred nodded. "It is on my list, though not for the women! That is merely a side benefit!"

Freahelm gave him a gentle shove, saying, "Well, do not just stand there. Go and ask one of them to dance. I have not the status to approach them, but you do, and I may meet them through you! I knew sooner or later you would come in handy!"

"All right, all right!" Theodred laughed, raising his hands in surrender. "I will go, but only to please you!"

"I am _sure_ that is your only reason!" Freahelm smirked knowingly.

The two women and their father were standing talking to Gondor's Steward, who looked up as his nephew approached. "Theodred, come meet our guests from Dale. This is Lord Darf, and his two daughters, Fritha and Kata. This is my nephew, Theodred of Rohan, son of King Eomer."

Theodred acknowledged the group with a slight bow. As he recalled, the girls were near his age, one being slightly older and the other a few years younger. The last time they had met, the younger, Kata, had barely spoken ten words in his company. Her sister was the more outgoing of the pair, and Theodred had found it rather refreshing that Dale seemed a far more relaxed place even than Rohan. Neither the royals nor the nobles he had met from that land were nearly so pretentious as in his own homeland, and certainly far less than those in Gondor.

After a few moments of cordial conversation, Theodred invited, "If the ladies would care to dance, my friend and I would be happy to partner them."

Apparently the politics being discussed by her father were of little interest to Fritha, for she eagerly accepted the invitation. Though blushing pink, Kata nodded her agreement as well and Theodred led the way back to Freahelm and made introductions. It was immediately clear which of them Fritha wished to dance with, her eyes clearly being well pleased with Freahelm's looks, and he took the hint to offer his hand to lead her onto the floor. Still blushing, Kata took the arm Theodred extended to her and they followed.

The movements of the dance kept them from conversing much at first, but finally they came into closer quarters and Theodred tried to initiate something by asking, "What brings Dale to Minas Tirith? We do not often see you here."

Hesitantly, Kata responded, "I am not certain of my father's business here, but my sister, brother and I were eager to visit and so we begged permission to join him."

They fell silent again until Kata attempted more, "I have not seen your family. Are they not here also?"

He shook his head, explaining, "No, just me and Freahelm. We are traveling about, exploring Middle Earth together, and have stopped for a time in Minas Tirith. We will leave soon for Dol Amroth and my kin there."

She looked mildly disappointed at the answer, but then brightened and suggested tentatively, "Then perhaps we will see one another again before you depart."

Grinning, he told her, "If you like, I could show you around the city. I have been here often enough to be fairly well acquainted with it. Your brother and sister also, if they wish."

Her face beamed at the offer, though his inclusion of her siblings seemed to dampen her enthusiasm a bit. "Thank you, my lord. You are very kind," she murmured softly.

His eyebrows quirked at her sudden decorum, then brushed it aside and told her, "Please, call me Theodred. We need not be so formal unless the situation demands it."

She appeared to perk up again at this suggestion, and smiled warmly in response. "As you wish, Theodred."

Since Fritha seemed quite taken with Freahelm, hardly surprising since he had his father's build and rugged good looks, the two men spent most of the remainder of the evening with the ladies from Dale. Theodred did manage a few dances with others, but Kata looked eager to have his company and he did not want to disappoint her. She was pleasant enough and a good dancer, so the festivities passed quickly.

xxxxx

As promised, the pair from Rohan squired the women about town the following day, and spent the rest of the week enjoying various activities – riding, picnicing and so forth. Their brother was occupied in meetings with their father, and so did not join them on their outings.

There was no mistaking Fritha's regard for Freahelm, and he seemed readily agreeable to spending time with her. That left Theodred and Kata thrown together. It wasn't that Theodred disliked the girl; indeed, she was an affable companion and he enjoyed talking to her. But she seemed so very young and inexperienced with life that he found himself holding back, lest he take advantage of her ingenuousness. So they did a great deal of talking. He told her of life in Rohan, of their travels thus far and of the places he hoped to visit during this journey.

Most of the time she sat transfixed, listening to him speak, but occasionally she volunteered a question or comment. It took some doing, but he was even able to get her to tell him more of Dale and their trip to Minas Tirith. During a lapse in his narrative, she looked admiringly at him and remarked, "You are a fine storyteller, Theodred. When you tell your tales, I feel as though I am there with you, sharing them." For some reason, her observation made her blush, and he grinned with pleasure as he thanked her and plunged into his next story.

At last it came time for the party to return to Dale, and the duo joined the family at the docks before starting on their own journey south to Dol Amroth.

While the baggage was being loaded, Kata managed to find a few minutes with Theodred when no one else was near. "I do hope you will visit us in Dale, Theodred. I am sure my father would welcome the opportunity to extend his hospitality to you." He couldn't quite fathom why she blushed at the offer.

Smiling at her in his usual sociable manner, he replied, "And I look forward to seeing your home. I do not know how long it will be before we make our way north. Perhaps after we have seen all we wish to in the south, we will make use of the Anduin for the journey."

"I...I hope you enjoy your travels. If you...I should be very pleased to hear from you on what you encounter. It all sounds very exciting."

Theodred's eyebrows twitched at her comment; then he realized she was hinting for him to write to her. He shrugged. "I do not know how easily I may send letters, but perhaps I can find a way to send one. If not, I will tell you about my travels in person when I come."

That seemed to satisfy her and she looked quite happy with the situation, even though her father was calling to her to board the boat.

Final farewells were said and Theodred watched as the boarding planks were removed, lines cast off and the boat moved away. With a last wave from Theodred and Freahelm, the two returned to their horses. They were quickly mounted and on their way. They had been riding some time before Freahelm broke the silence. "So, do I detect an interest in Kata?"

Theodred chuckled. "She is a sweet child, my friend. Nothing more."

"Child? Theodred, the girl has just entered her eighteenth year – that means she is only two years younger than you! She is no child!"

"She is very young for her age. I grant you she is charming and friendly, and very lovely, but she is still a child. I think there is a greater chance of something between you and Fritha than between me and her sister!"

Freahelm gave a snort, answering, "I am the son of a soldier, and a soldier myself. I do not think it likely she is looking to be courted by such. And even if she is, her father is not apt to desire it."

"Freahelm, they are less rigid in Dale. Surely you saw that. Do not underestimate your chances. If you like the girl, make some effort in wooing her."

"Yes, I shall do that – from Dol Amroth..." Freahelm commented sarcastically.

"All right!" Theodred laughed. "You make a valid point. Woo her when we go to visit, then."

After a moment, Freahelm encouraged, "And you ought to give her sister greater consideration. I think there is more there than you presently acknowledge. And judging by the way she looks at you, I doubt very much she would object to your attentions."

"Perhaps. I will keep it in mind when next I see her."

TBC

4-23-06

_Explanatory Note: Overland it is about 50 miles from Minas Tirith to Cair Andros. A person on horseback can probably cover 30-40 miles/day so it would take about 2 days. However, if there are wagons and such, the speed drops to about 15 miles per day, meaning it would take 4-5 days. I have assumed that since it is more than 40 years after the War, once the danger was past of nasties of Mordor, a road was built from Ithilien to Dale along the east side of Mirkwood (Eryn Lasgalen). It followed the North Road until that road split off to the east toward Mordor. A new road was built continuing on North and that is the route the Dale visitors are taking. Since it is a very long overland journey, they are sparing their horses that extra 50 miles. When they arrived, they left their wagons and such in a new port established at Cair Andros and sailed to Minas Tirith from there. They are returning to Cair Andros via the Anduin to pick up their wagons and continue on home._

In a later chapter, when Theodred and Freahelm go to Dale, they do not take that road, which would have been the easiest, most direct route. Instead, they elect to follow the western shore of the Anduin since they are interested in visiting historical sites along the way. From my examination of everything I could find about the Anduin, I am convinced that the Anduin is not particularly "boatable" from about Cair Andros to the Falls of Rauros. Then farther north, the Undeeps make it difficult boating as well, except perhaps for smaller craft. Thus, when Theodred and Freahelm return home, they sail down the Anduin til they reach the Limlight River and then strike overland across Rohan. The Undeeps begin near that point.

Wasn't sure how to name the folks from Dale, but in checking Thain's Book online I found that the known names seem to be Old Norse. I tracked down a website that gives Old Norse names and tried to come up with some that sounded like they fit in Middle Earth. (My apologies to Tolkien and anyone else who knows more about this than I do.)

from Old Norse: Gird - meaning is uncertain; Fritha - "beloved"; Kata - "cheerful"; Darf - "bold, brave"

_**End note: It is not essential that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written, but there is an advantage to doing so. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order (#15 came after #17, I think), but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Just a reminder for any of you who are new to my Elfwine Chronicles series and may not have read all the previous stories – yes, Eomer and Eowyn had a cousin named Theodred, son of Theoden. In my series, Eomer named his youngest son after his cousin. Thus, I specifically put "son of Eomer" so you would know these stories are about Eomer's son, NOT his cousin. Hope that clears things up. If you're thinking this is Eomer's cousin, it won't make sense.**_

_**This chapter references the story "Restive". You should probably read that first.**_

_**Also, if you are a Faramir fan, go check out the stories by Nesta. They are wonderful, and she has a series of one-shots about his children that are excellent. Even if you aren't a Faramir fan, go read them just because they are so well written...and because I said so! Firiel is amazing! Be sure to start at the bottom of the list so you get the earlier stories first and read them in sequence. Like the Elfwine Chronicles, they build on previous ones and reading the later stories first will cause you to "miss" a bit of it.**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer.**

**Chapter 2**

Theodred drew rein at the sight before them, and Freahelm followed suit. For a moment, they sat and watched as an old man earnestly urged a rather skinny, decrepit horse to pull. A rope affixed to a harness on the horse was tied around a large tree stump and, apparently, the man was trying to uproot it.

"No offense, good sir," Theodred announced, "but I fear your horse is unequal to the task you set before him."

The old man noticed them for the first time, and paused in his efforts to wipe at the sweat on his brow. "Do you think me so foolish that I do not know this, young master?" he snapped. "The work must be done and he is all I have. We will manage without the likes of you making pointless comments!"

Theodred grinned at the man's feistiness, then asked, "So, does that mean you do _not_ wish us to help you?"

The man had turned back to his task, but now levelled his gaze upon them and their mounts. Finally he observed, "Those are fine animals you ride. It is not likely they are used to this kind of work."

Freahelm chuckled and replied, "On the contrary, sir! These are war horses, and well acquainted with hard work. We do not breed weak animals in Rohan."

"Rohan, eh?" the man asked, rubbing his grizzled chin thoughtfully. At the responding nod, he shrugged and told them, "I could use the help, and surely old Fen here would appreciate it. He has seen too many winters for this kind of work. But why would you want to help me? I cannot pay you."

Theodred laughed as he dismounted. "We are not looking for payment, but perhaps if you have a barn, you will allow us to sleep there tonight. It looks like it might rain again."

An agreement reached, Theodred and Freahelm set to work loosening the ground around the stump by driving pointed sticks into the dirt to break it up a bit. Then, tying ropes to their saddles, they set their horses to the task. The rain that had fallen rather steadily the past two days had softened the ground enough that their efforts soon yielded the desired result; the stump pulled free from its present location. After dragging it to where the old man indicated he wanted it, they used his axe to chop it into firewood and loaded it into a wagon parked nearby. Once Fen was reharnessed to the wagon, they followed the man, whose name was given as Dorgil, back to his small farm and helped him get things put away and the remaining chores done.

Just as they finished, the skies opened up again. By now, he had warmed to the two men and invited them for supper, which they gladly accepted. Then they talked long into the evening, Dorgil seeming to enjoy the unexpected company. He told them of his life, the death of his wife, and his two sons who lived elsewhere. When they decided to turn in, he let them spread their bedrolls by the fire rather than retiring to the barn, and they were grateful to be warm and dry through the night.

Come morning, they again helped with chores, and Dorgil provided a breakfast before they resumed their journey. By noon, they had ridden into Linhir and set about locating Morwen's home.

At the sight of her brother, Morwen let out a squeal and flung herself into his arms. "Theodred! It is so good to see you again, but we were not expecting you back so soon."

He grinned as he held her at arm's length, and answered, "We are on our way to Dol Amroth, but decided to visit you and Caranhir while we are in the neighborhood."

"Not Caranhir – not unless you stay a few days. He is away on business. I am not sure when he will return home. Oh, I am pleased to see you – both of you."

She beamed at them briefly until they were interrupted by a loud squeal and running feet, "Unca The'd'ed! Unca The'd'ed!" His barely-three-year-old niece, Mirlas, launched herself at his knees and, just in time, he caught her before she knocked him down. Swinging her up and hugging her close, he asked, "How is my little 'treasure'?" He burrowed his face into her neck, causing her to laugh with glee.

"I fine," she assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a very wet kiss on his cheek. Noticing Freahelm grinning nearby, she shyly hid her face against Theodred's shoulder.

Laughing, Theodred tickled her to make the child look up and told her, "This is my friend, Freahelm. Will you say hello to him?"

"Hello," she said, so softly she almost could not be heard.

Freahelm bowed and caught her hand, giving it a kiss and causing her to giggle with delight.

Morwen waved them to follow her to the library and as they did, Theodred took a good look at his sister for the first time. "Oh ho, what is this?" he demanded.

Turning to cast a questioning look over her shoulder, he nodded toward her obviously bulging middle. "This is new since I was last here!"

She blushed pink and smiled happily, "Yes. I have written Mother about it, but likely you were already gone by the time my letter arrived and perhaps she has not mentioned it to you, or her letter has not caught up to you yet."

"That is possible. I only got one letter in Minas Tirith. I had mentioned spending time in Dol Amroth, but then we stayed longer than expected in the north. I suspect I will have several letters waiting when I get to the palace."

The three whiled away the afternoon catching up on all the news either of them had to share. Mirlas had gradually warmed up to Freahelm and was soon climbing all over him as much as her uncle.

They had no fixed plans for their visit here, but Morwen was so delighted at their presence that Theodred thought he would stay at least several days, and perhaps catch Caranhir's return before they continued on.

As it happened, two days later Caranhir suddenly put in appearance, pleased to see them and learn of their adventures. Theodred observed Caranhir's return home with amusement. He seemed to drop his belongings wherever he happened to be at any given moment, and Morwen scurried along behind, picking them up as quickly as he deposited them. Clearly she had lost little of her fastidiousness, even six years after their marriage. While her face obviously expressed her exasperation with his inattention to tidiness, it was equally apparent that she adored her husband, and she fussed over him, welcoming him home, for the duration of that day.

When finally the two travelers set out once more on their journey, Freahelm noted, "Caranhir and your sister seem an unlikely match, and yet they fit together rather well."

"Aye. He has been good for Morwen. She is much more relaxed now than she was," – Freahelm gave a snort of amusement – "though she _still_ clings to protocol and propriety. Give him time – he will soften Morwen despite her best efforts at resistance!"

It made for a long day of riding, but they reached the palace of Elphir before nightfall. Given a choice, Theodred's preference was to stay with his Uncle Amrothos, who remained young at heart despite his years. Uncle Elphir was a bit too staid for his preference, but Amrothos lived in a modest home and would find it more difficult to accommodate the two of them.

It was too late upon their arrival to summon the other family members, so supper was just Elphir's family, with Alphros, his wife and two sons.

Interacting with this branch of the family was more stiff and formal than Theodred preferred, but he did not mind the effort. They were good people despite their rigid attitudes about life.

When the two men retired for the evening, Freahelm grinned gleefully at his friend before saying goodnight. "Ah, tomorrow we can have another excellent bath!"

Theodred laughed and retorted, "I fear you are becoming spoiled, Freahelm! At this rate, you will not want to leave the city and sleep in a tent. That will make traveling difficult…"

The other man chuckled, then confessed, "I do like Gondor's baths, I will admit, but I do not wish to become so soft that I turn into one of those puffy, pale nobles. If you must, drag me back into the wild and force me to rough it. A man needs to be able to fend for himself out in the bushes. Life is not always spent in fine houses."

"Well spoken," Theodred acknowledged. "And I must agree – Gondor's baths are especially fine!"

The two bid each other good night and separated.

Over the next few months, most of their time was spent with Amrothos, though his son Adrahir joined them when his business would allow. Amrothos had always enjoyed sailing and was delighted to thoroughly train the two in the ways of the sea and boating, even accompanying them on some of their outings to the nearby islands. He taught them to dig for clams and how to cook them over a campfire, and the three lazily spent long hours fishing or exploring the shoreline, coves and islands around Dol Amroth.

After so much time in the sun, both young men were bronzed of skin and bleached of hair. Theodred may have inherited his mother's dark hair, but the sun had made him look much more like his father. Freahelm's hair had been a dark gold, but now it was bleached out to almost a white.

As had been expected, there were several letters from home awaiting the two when they arrived in Dol Amroth, but in mid-June Theodred received an unexpected missive from his mother.

12 June, 43 IV

Edoras

_**Dearest Theodred,**_

_I hope this letter finds you well, and enjoying your adventures. It would seem this decision you have made for yourself had a profound influence on your father, for he is severely feeling the restrictions of his office. We have decided to follow your example and take two months (at least) to set off wherever Eomer wishes to wander. We will travel with a minimal escort and not fly the king's banner. Elfwine will be designated as Underking in our absence and handle the running of the kingdom._

_I know this all may be a bit shocking to you, but I think perhaps this unrest has been brewing for some time. Only the contentment of his family life has made the stifling environment of king bearable to a man such as your father. He is one who wants to be out of doors, in the sun and weather, riding freely over the plains and hills. I did not find his discontent at all unexpected. _

_Our age is, of course, a hindrance to this endeavor, but I am sure we will manage well enough. When we announced it at the council meeting, as you might expect, it was met with great opposition, but we stood our ground on the matter. Should anything happen to Father, Elfwine is perfectly capable of assuming the kingship in full, though naturally none of us wish that to be necessary._

_Not surprisingly, Freawine has volunteered to accompany us in this venture. Kialmar is needed to remain at Edoras, both for protection of the city and the Underking, so it was reasonable for his Second to do this. While Theodwyn will miss him, she did not hesitate to approve the decision as it will make her rest easier knowing he is watching over us. Their children are old enough for him to be gone that length of time, and Dariel will be there to assist her if necessary._

_Elfwine has mixed emotions about all of this. He finds taking on the full role of king a bit daunting, but it will be good experience for him in preparing for the future we all know will one day come. Given a choice, I think he would prefer to be the one to accompany us and make sure we were safe and well, but that is not possible. If it cannot be him, he finds it reassuring to have his brother and most trusted friend doing the honors instead._

_The grandchildren are a bit uncertain about our departure, assuring us they will miss us terribly, but I am confident they will adjust quickly. The council has continued to grumble and complain ever since we announced it, but there is little they can do about our decision. Some of the people in town who have heard the news have been quite supportive, making a point to come forward and wish us well. And, rather to our amusement, even Theomund has assured us he will help Elfwine all he can in our absence. Since you know as well as we do how little interested Theomund is in political matters, his aid might prove more of an amusement than an actual help to his brother. Still, it is good of him to make the effort._

_Well, dearest, there is no other real news from these parts. Likely you have heard that Theomund and Fele were married on June first, so we will soon set out. At the present, our plan is to depart on the twentieth of the month. I have left it to your father to determine our path, and he is considering the possibilities. He has not specifically said so, but I very much suspect that our plans will include a visit to the Hobbits. He has long wished to see his friends again, and now may be his only opportunity._

_Clearly, we will be more restricted in our ability to communicate with you while we are traveling, as you well know. Therefore, do not be alarmed if this is the last letter you receive from me for awhile. I am sure your brother will continue to keep in contact with you, and want to know what you are up to and where you are. Once we have returned, I will find out where you currently are residing and send word if it is possible to reach you._

_Do be careful, dearest. You and Freahelm are always in my heart, and I constantly ask the Valar to watch over you and keep you safe. Should you find yourself in the vicinity, do not hesitate to stop at home and visit for a time, if you should be so inclined. We would love to see you before you are off on your next adventure, and look forward to hearing your tales in person._

_Love,_

_**Mother**_

After reading the letter, he folded it thoughtfully and stared out to sea. Freahelm, sitting next to him, was still engrossed in letters from his parents, but when he finished and looked up, he noticed Theodred's pensive mood.

"Is something the matter?" he asked curiously.

Theodred sighed, then handed the letter to his friend to read. When he returned it a few moments later, Theodred observed, "I did not expect to have such an impact on my family by my activities. I confess I am a bit concerned about them traveling about at their ages, but I am glad Freawine will go with them. He will not let anything happen to them."

Freahelm was silent for several minutes, then commented, "I can understand it, though. Even the few years I have spent in an eored, living outdoors and surviving off the land, I have come to appreciate the freedom it affords. Your father lived like that for much longer, and to a much greater extent, and I cannot imagine it was easy for him to give it up and sit behind a desk all these years."

"Aye," Theodred commented softly. "Mother has always been good at easing his frustration when it became too much, but even she was limited. He is lucky to have a wife who understands him so well, and accepts who he is. Not all women would be willing to hop on a horse and head off into parts unknown in their later years, giving up the comforts of home."

xxxxx

The two did not talk much after that about the matter, but their conversation seemed to linger in the back of their minds all the same and a subtle seriousness seemed to have taken over them both. They continued sailing, fishing and taking life easy, but each seemed to realize that they needed to find a direction and purpose in their lives and not simply while away their time eternally.

As June drifted into July, by unspoken agreement, they seemed to decide it was time to move on to their next destination. Returning from a tavern in town one night, Theodred suggested, "What do you say to our making that promised journey to Dale? If we wait much longer, winter will set in and it will be too cold. We can travel north some of the way on the Anduin before going overland the remainder of the way. And we can get a glimpse of Eryn Lasgalen on the way."

Freahelm shivered and glanced askance at his companion, "Eryn Lasgalen – home of the giant spiders! I wish to make that a _very_ short visit, my friend! I can tolerate the small spiders we have in Rohan, but I do not wish to see giant ones!"

"Very well," Theodred laughed. "We will pass quickly through on the Old Forest Road over to River Running. We can follow that north into Dale. We will leave in two days."

TBC

5-2-06

FYI: Dorgil: dor - land; gil - star

Amrothos is 69, Danwen is 67 (Imrahil was 64 in the war); Amrothos' son is Adrahir who is now 33 – their only child

Elphir is 76, Erchirion is 73, Alphros is 46

Morwen is 29, Caranhir is 33; Mirlas is 3 ("joyful treasure" from mir - treasure, las - joy) – Morwen pregnant with 2nd child, born in 43 IV

Mirkwood was renamed Eryn Lasgalen after the War


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Do you folks have ANY idea how hard it is to write the details of someone's travels in Middle Earth! Finding a decent map that covers the entirety of the Anduin, and details of its course was a challenge (I can find bits and pieces about things along the way, but not a really good picture of where things are located). Plus, there isn't much info about roads, shipping lanes, communication, etc. between anyplace other than Gondor and Rohan. I'm cobbling together what tidbits I can find, and I'll just have to make up the rest. It is some 45 years since the War, so I guess I can say roads have been built that Tolkien never mentioned...**_

**_Originally, ch. 3 was going to be about their being in Dale - well, actually, ch. 2 was going to be about that. But since I am keeping this chronological, and needed to get other stuff in first, Dale got pushed back to ch. 4. The guys finally see the ladies again then..._**

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer.**

**Chapter 3 (mid-July, 43 IV)**

Freahelm leaned on the boat's railing and smiled up at the sun. "This is the life! We should have done this long ago!" He turned to grin at Theodred, who sat on a barrel nearby, scribbling in his journal. "Why have we been doing things the hard way – riding long distances, camping out in the rain, hunting for our meals? Hop on a boat and the going is easier, you have a covered and dry bed, and meals are provided!"

Theodred chuckled as he closed his journal. "True, but the scenery never really changes along a river, my friend. This could get quite tedious after awhile. If you want that much comfort, stay in the city and be done with it!" Rising, he moved over to stand beside the other man. "Not to mention, you specifically told me to drag you back into the wild, and force you to do all those 'hard' things!"

"Aye," Freahelm sighed in a beleaguered fashion, "I did say that. Clearly I had a fever and was not in my right mind…"

There was silence for several moments, and then they both burst out laughing. Leveling him with an amused look, Theodred told him, "I am not certain you are _ever_ in your right mind!"

"Will we stop in Minas Tirith?" Freahelm asked, abruptly changing subjects.

"Only overnight, or a day or two if it takes us longer to get supplied. Then we will head overland along the western shore." He grinned, "We will be back in Rohan for part of the trip, even in the old ancestral land where the Eotheod once dwelled long ago."

Freahelm nodded. "And we pass where the One Ring was lost by Isildur." He made a face at Theodred's surprised look, saying, "Do not be astonished! I had to sit through those history lessons the same as you! I suppose some of it stuck with me." He looked out over the water again and commented, "It was not all that interesting to listen to those tales, but actually seeing the places involved is something else altogether. We will even get a glimpse of the Argonath! Will that not be a sight?"

"Aye!" Theodred acknowledged, leaning on the rail. "It seems almost impossible there is so much to be seen in this world. But, with any luck, we will see much of it before we settle down and live quiet lives in Rohan!" The two fell into a pensive silence for a long time, just watching the river sliding by beneath them.

xxxxx

It took several days to reach Minas Tirith. Since they had sent word home of their plans, letters awaited them upon arrival and once they were settled in rooms of the Steward's house, they spent the next hour catching up on the news from their families. As his mother had indicated, Elfwine was making it a point to keep in touch with Theodred in their parents' stead:

2 July, 43 IV

Edoras

_**Theodred,**_

_I hope my letter finds you well; Freahelm also. Perhaps it does not seem so to you, but it surely must be more than four months that you have been gone! I feel as though I have not seen you in ages. We are well here, and everyone sends their love. All your nieces and nephews speak of you frequently, and are anxious for you to return home and tell them all about your travels. They claim you are the very best storyteller ever! _

_We have heard from Mother and Father once since they departed, and all is going well. As Mother rather expected, Father was eager to head toward the Shire and visit with his Hobbit friends. He would dearly love to see the Shire itself, but since King Elessar has decreed that Men are not to enter that land, Father will have to settle for doing as King Elessar did years ago – setting up camp at Lake Evendim and letting the Hobbits come to him. He has sent word on ahead to Merry and Pippin, and they have indicated delight at the prospect of seeing him again. Mother posted a note on the letter, probably after Father finished writing his part so he would not see it, and says that he is beginning to act as though he was thirty again! He insists on practicing with his sword daily, and wearing his armor as they travel, and generally behaving as though he is Third Marshal again! Although she finds it rather amusing, Mother still claims he makes a splendid sight – but, then, would we truly expect her to say any different? There are instances when I am not sure her eyes have kept pace with time. It is as if they stopped seeing changes at some point, and no one grows older or changes from then on. Certainly that seems to be the case with Father. I truly do not think she sees him any differently than she did when they first met. Whatever physical changes are obvious to our eyes, she cannot see, or chooses not to do so. Truth be known, I would count myself fortunate if my own bride proves to be so willfully blind to my shortcomings._

_Ah well, I do not wish to bore you with such mundane matters when you are off seeking adventure. I understand you are headed into Dale and we may not hear a great deal from you, but do write if you can. Perhaps you can keep an eye out on your travels for ways to improve travel and communication with that land. I sometimes think we forget that Gondor and Rohan are not the only settled lands in Middle Earth. Rohan should probably make a greater effort to seek commerce in that direction, and I will welcome your recommendations on the subject._

_Do be careful, but have a wonderful time nonetheless. In many ways, I wish I could have come with you. See what you have done – inspired wanderlust in the entire family!_

_Your brother,_

_**Elfwine**_

Theodred and Freahelm had perched themselves in chairs on the balcony, off the chamber they shared. July in Minas Tirith was miserably hot and, now that it was nearing midday, the sun was almost full up and torrid.

Leaning back in his chair, Theodred contemplated what his brother had written. He could not help but grin over letters from home, and this was no exception. In addition to Elfwine's letter, several of the nieces and nephews had scribbled short notes to him, the youngest ones drawing pictures for him. Theodwyn had also sent a short letter advising that she had heard from Freawine and all was going well. Mother seemed to be coping adequately with living in a tent, during the times an inn was not available. She said Father kept trying to keep a low profile and not flaunt who he was, but the name Eomer was too well known in the Riddermark for anyone to be much fooled, and he was forced to suffer deference despite his best efforts.

Theodred had always found that to be one of the interesting things about his father. Even though he had proven to be an excellent king and leader for the people of the Mark, he had never managed to become entirely comfortable with the pre-eminent position it put him in. He had always retained his desire to be 'one of the men', gathered by the fire and swapping stories at day's end over a good tankard of ale. Surprisingly, his mother, who had been raised as royalty in the palace of Dol Amroth and brought up to the formal, stilted life of such, much preferred the relaxed nature of her husband and the Rohan court. True, they could not entirely set protocol aside and just be merely a married couple, but one glance at the king and queen of Gondor in comparison, and it was abundantly clear protocol was not equivalent in the two lands.

Freahelm had finished reading and looked over at him. Quietly, he observed, "I had not expected to miss them so much. This is far different than being gone for long stretches with my eored." He held up a braided flower chain that was quite crumpled from being mashed inside a letter. "From my niece, so I would remember her!" With a grin, he settled it on his head like a crown, since it was too small to go round his neck, and they both broke up with laughter.

"I think you should wear that at the next dance!" Theodred encouraged. "The ladies could hardly resist you then!" He paused then added, "Or better yet, bring it to Dale. When Fritha sees you wearing such finery, she will beg you to marry her!"

They laughed so hard then, that tears rolled down their cheeks. Not until they were interrupted by the appearance of a servant, indicating dinner was ready, did they pull themselves together.

They dined alone as Faramir was eating while he continued to work on some important project he had in progress. When they finished, they decided a soak in the tub to cool off and then a good long nap in a shady spot was in order. They would wait for the sun to drop, later in the day, before venturing out to get their supplies for the trip. Many of the shopkeepers closed for several hours during midday anyway, due to the heat, and then reopened later and stayed open longer than usual to allow their customers to avoid the worst part of the day.

xxxxx

Two days later, they started west just after dawn. It had turned out that the 'project' Faramir had been so studiously engaged in, was to provide them with a very concise map for their journey. Pulling from several different maps of the various regions, he had simplified the information down to a basic map of the essential topography they would encounter, with notations of anything Faramir thought might interest them or need to be drawn to their attention. They had thanked him profusely, understanding the effort that had gone into such an undertaking, and promised to make notations of their own on it, along the way, and share the results for anything new he wished to add to Gondor's maps.

The Entwash joined the Anduin and created a large area of marshland called the Wetwang. In that area, the Anduin was difficult to navigate, so it was more reasonable to travel overland toward Rohan, cross the river at the Mouths of the Entwash, and then follow along the western shore of the Anduin. Since they were interested in seeing some of the sights along the way, once they crossed the Entwash, they swung back over to the Anduin. Stairs had been cut into the hill along the Falls of Rauros, enabling them to backtrack the path that the Nine Walkers had followed from Lothlorien.

At Amon Hen, as they stood surveying the surrounding area, Theodred relayed some family history to his friend. "My uncle Boromir, one of the Walkers, was overcome by the One Ring here and tried to take it from the Ringbearer. He quickly regained his senses, after Frodo had fled, and died valiantly defending the other hobbits against the minions of Saruman. My uncle Faramir told me he had a long talk with the Ringbearer, and that he had forgiven Boromir his lapse, understanding the deadly power of the Ring to corrupt. King Elessar, the Elf Legolas and the Dwarf Gimli gave Boromir a hero's funeral and set him adrift in a boat to go over the Falls of Rauros."

For quite some time, they stood in silent homage to the past, and the brave men who had fought for their freedom. Then, with unspoken mutual consent, they moved on. Passing Nen Hithoel they finally reached the upper end of the lake where stood the Argonath, as majestic a sight as they had heard they were.

There was not a great deal more to see as they made their way into The Wold and crossed the Limlight. Despite some rocky terrain, they were making good progress on their journey, averaging about ten leagues a day. They picked up the pace a bit in flatter, more open areas, but did not want to press their horses so hard they would founder.

Lothlorien did not prove nearly so impressive as they had heard that it once was. With the departure of the Elves, it was little more than a normal forest, but still it proved pleasant shade from the summer heat in which they traveled. When they reached the Gladden Fields, even Freahelm knew the history there – of Isildur losing the One Ring in the Anduin, and its remaining there for nearly twenty-five hundred years.

Once they passed that point, they were on land where their ancestors, the Eotheod, had lived for over a hundred years. Eventually, those people had moved farther north until they went to the aid of Gondor, and were given the land now known as the Riddermark but, for a time, this had been their home.

It was well into August when the two men reached the Old Ford over the Anduin. After the War, the Beornings had set up a waystation there, and they maintained the road and crossing with tolls they charged. They had also built waystations, a day's ride apart, along the Old Forest Road through Eryn Lasgalen. Though the majority of the Giant Spiders had been wiped out during the cleansing, they were not completely gone, and the waystations provided safe sleeping places for travelers.

Theodred enjoyed the five day trek through the forest more than Freahelm, who kept a wary eye out for spiders and urged his companion not to tarry along the way. In reality, there wasn't really much to actually see anyway, but Theodred found himself replaying all the history he knew of the place, though his efforts to share it with Freahelm met with a less-than-enthusiastic audience.

At long last, as the month was nearing its close, they reached the River Running. They stayed another night in an inn there, before finding portage on a boat that could accommodate carrying their horses. It had been a long and tiring journey, and they saw no reason to push the horses further if it could be avoided.

Both were fascinated as they passed through Lake-town, having never seen a town built on stilts and completely over water. Though tempted to stay and explore it a bit, they decided to save that for their return trip. Instead, they pressed on, arriving finally in Dale in mid-afternoon.

Once they had secured a room at an inn, and seen their horses well tended, they made their way to the King's palace to give greeting.

King Darf welcomed them cordially, though a bit surprised by their presence. Despite his daughters mentioning the plans of the two men to visit Dale, he had not been entirely sure it wasn't idle conversation to impress the ladies, and that they wouldn't change their minds when faced with the actual prospect of such a journey.

"Gentlemen, I look forward to visiting with you, but I was just preparing a messenger for Minas Tirith, and I should like to get him on his way before we see to the amenities, if you do not mind."

Theodred and Freahelm cast a glance at one another, and Theodred ventured, "Not at all, my lord. In fact, if we might beg paper, would it be possible to send letters of our own with your messenger, to assure our families we have arrived safely?"

"Of course! I shall get you writing implements. My courier can delay a half hour while you write a note."

Normally, Theodred's letters tended to be a bit lengthy, as he enjoyed describing things in detail and trying to let the recipient envision what he was telling them, but under the pressure of time constraints, he restricted himself to a short note. He could always go into more explicit description when he saw his family again.

Not sure if his parents were home from their own travels yet, he addressed the letter to Elfwine, knowing it would be shared if his parents were there.

29 August, 43 IV

Dale

_**Elfwine,**_

_Well, brother, we have finally arrived in the far north. It has been a wonderful journey with many incredible sights, but I will not venture to describe them here. King Darf has been kind enough to delay his courier so we could get these messages sent home._

_As it happens, Freahelm and I have discussed the matter, and we have decided to return to Edoras for the winter. We both miss our families terribly, and wintry weather is not exactly inspiring for camping under the stars. Likely we will remain in Dale at least a month or so, depending on how things go, and then make our way home across the Eastemnet. We had considered going over the High Pass and coming through Rivendell, to see that place, but fear that it would be too long a journey with winter coming. Also, this course will give us the chance to do as you requested and determine a possible route for increasing commerce. The path we chose in getting here likely is not best for that purpose, but our more direct road home should work. I will also discuss the matter with the King and learn his thoughts._

_I hope this letter finds all well there, and look forward to seeing everyone soon. I realize you likely will not be able to write to us here, and we do not plan on stopping in Minas Tirith on the way home, so further communication will have to wait until we see one another in person._

_My love to all,_

_**Theodred**_

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: From what I've read about the Mearas, they can only be ridden by the king or princes in the direct line of Eorl (Shadowfax being the exception). That said, I would assume that Firefoot was not a meara since Eomer had him long before he ascended to the kingship, and he was not originally in line to do so. Theoretically, all the sons of Eomer would be entitled and able to ride such a horse, but for my purposes, I am assuming that only Eomer and Elfwine do, though there may be instances of them riding other horses. My reason for mentioning this may be evident in this chapter, and also in another Elfwine Chronicle I have in mind to do.**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 4 (August-September, 43 IV)**

"Well, it is about time you came home, sister!" Fritha smiled disarmingly.

Kata narrowed her eyes in mild annoyance, saying, "About time? I have only been gone two days, and you knew where I was. What is two days of visiting a friend in Lake-town?"

She returned to unpacking her bag as Fritha moved away from the door and pushed it closed, then took a seat, lolling across her sister's bed. With feigned casualness, she explained, "Not unusual, such a visit, but as it happens, we have our own guests here."

Kata didn't look up as she put clothes away, murmuring with only slight interest, "Guests? Who has come?"

"That young man from the south. Oh, what was his name? _Theodred_, I think it was..." Fritha teased, and was rewarded with her sister freezing in place.

It took several moments before Kata could squeak out, "Theodred is here?"

"Yes. They arrived yesterday afternoon. He wondered where you were..."

Kata whirled around and eyed her sister closely. "Do not torment me, Fritha."

Her sister smiled, relenting. "Well, he did ask about you, but I cannot honestly claim it was more than curiosity. Still, he is here. You can stop _dreaming_ of him and work on gaining his favor!"

Kata made a face, retorting, "And I suppose it matters not at all to you that his handsome friend has come also? You, of course, have no interest in gaining _his_ favor?"

Fritha shrugged. "I have never made a secret of _my_ interest. _You_ seem to think no one can tell how much you like Theodred. The truth is, I think _he_ may be the only one who has not noticed."

With a sigh, Kata plunked down next to her sister and picked up her hairbrush, restlessly turning it over in her hands. "I know. He is charming and pleasant, but I do not believe he thinks of me as anything more than a friend." With hurt in her eyes, she asked, "What am I to do? I am very much taken with him, Fritha."

Her sister sat up and gave her a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Do not give up yet, Kata. Give him time to come around. After all, you have not known him very long. All told, you have spent less than a fortnight in his company, and that spread over nearly five years time. Perhaps he is just so intrigued by his traveling that he is not giving serious thought to women just now."

xxxxx

By dinnertime, Kata was clumsy with nerves at the prospect of seeing Theodred again. Fritha had explained about their arrival, their father inviting them to supper the previous evening and then insisting that they stay at the palace rather than an inn for the duration of their visit. They had felt obligated to the innkeeper to remain there the one night, but they would be transferring their belongings over later this afternoon.

They had spent the morning out riding with Gird, who was showing them a bit of the area, somewhat under duress from his father. Gird was not entirely certain he approved of these southerners, or the designs they seemed to have on certain ladies of Dale. He could not deny that both were quite affable, but he would not tolerate them callously dallying with his sisters. He knew Fritha well enough to realize that her interest in Freahelm was not serious. He was new and different, but the fact remained that the man was a soldier. His sister liked to live well, and was not likely to desire the sort of life a soldier could provide.

Kata, on the other hand, was clearly smitten with the son of Rohan's king. He had watched the two closely at Minas Tirith, but it had not appeared that the man took any serious notice of Kata, though he was unfailingly charming and polite to her. Gird was uncertain how to react to that. Kata was yet young, and very much inexperienced when it came to dealings with men, but still he did not wish for her to be hurt. If this Theodred thought to toy with her heart and then simply walk away, he would find himself answering to Kata's brother!

The three men returned from their ride just in time to stable their horses and wash for the meal. Upon their entrance into the dining hall, Fritha quickly greeted them, linked an arm through Freahelm's and guided him to a seat next to hers. Kata stood awkwardly near the door, unable to meet Theodred's eyes. Oblivious to her reaction to him, he offered his arm and suggested she seat him somewhere. With a full-blown blush embarrassing her further, she did as requested, though it took every ounce of self-control she could muster not to make a fool of herself in some fashion.

Gird seated himself next to Freahelm and across from the other couple, where he could keep an eye on them. But, while Theodred was pleasant and friendly, he did nothing that Gird could find objectionable. Still, he felt sorry for his sister, whose feelings made her uncharacteristically clumsy. He had to give Theodred credit for his reassuring manner, particularly when his sister knocked over a wine goblet, much to her horror.

Theodred merely chuckled in amusement and told them how it reminded him of his brother, Theomund, who was prone to such things. Then he launched into tales about his brother that soon had everyone forgetting about the unfortunate incident as they became wrapped up in his stories.

It was almost a relief for Kata when the meal ended, and Gird went with the two men to collect their belongings from the inn and pay their bill.

Retiring to her room, she flopped down on her back on the bed and let out a groan of frustration. _Impress him indeed! Why did she have to suddenly become so bumbling __now_? Rising, she fretfully moved over to a small book lying on her dresser and opened it, gently touching a few dried wildflowers that were pressed between the pages.

During one of the picnics they had gone on, Theodred had collected flowers to dry and press to send home to his nieces. After selecting those that he wanted, and placing them carefully in a book he had with him, he had laughingly offered the remainder to her in a ragged bouquet. He did not see her slip them carefully into her pocket, wrapped in a napkin, and surely did not know she had bought a book straight away, to press them between the pages in order to save them as a keepsake.

At least several times a week, she would find herself opening the book and fingering the posies with a giddy smile upon her face. She tried to remember that they were not a token from him, that it had merely been a friendly gesture on his part and held no deeper meaning, but part of her longed for that to change. He was like no one she had ever before met. The men of Dale were pleasant enough, but they had never especially appealed to her. The moment she had first met Theodred, back when she was only fourteen years of age, she had been taken with him. He had not noticed her then, and she had sighed over him from a distance the entire time they were in Minas Tirith for a conference her father and grandfather were attending.

Then, to meet him again just this past spring, and have him offer to dance with her and escort her about the city had been a dream come true. She envied Fritha's ease with Freahelm, but perhaps that was only possible because Fritha did not truly fancy the young man. She enjoyed his company and his attention, she appreciated his good looks, but she would likely only marry a nobleman. It wasn't that her sister was shallow or vain, but she knew what she wanted, and she would never be happy living the humble existence she would have as Freahelm's wife. Kata only hoped her sister was considerate enough not to lead him on and make him believe her feelings were greater than they were, or that they could ever have a relationship beyond friends.

With a sigh, she closed the book on the flowers and wandered to the window of her room. Theodred had indicated they might stay for a month or more. She could only hope to find favor in his eyes during that time. Perhaps Fritha was right and she would have to wait for him to conclude his travels before he would ever seriously consider her, but this might be her only opportunity to make a lasting impression on him. As much as she loved her home here in Dale, for the first time in her life she regretted how far it was from Gondor and Rohan.

xxxxx

Kata had not expected to find anyone in the gazebo, least of all Theodred. He was studiously writing something in that book he always seemed to carry, and had not noticed her presence yet.

As she gazed at him, with his bare feet, clad only in breeches and an unlaced linen shirt that was open at the neck and revealed some of his tanned chest, and his sleep-tousled hair, she did not think she had ever before seen a man so devastatingly attractive. Even at the thought, she blushed. Surely it was improper to have such intimate thoughts about a man she barely knew.

Just as she was turning to go, deciding not to intrude on his solitude, he paused in his writing and laid his head back against a post. As he did, he caught a glimpse of her and called out cheerily, "Good morning! I see I am not the only early riser this day."

She smiled tentatively at him, not certain his greeting was an invitation to join him. Seeming oblivious to her hesitancy, he shifted position to make room on the bench, and gestured for her to sit beside him.

Willingly she did so, though nervousness kept her thoughts in disarray. Finally, she managed to stammer out, "What is that you are writing? A letter?"

"No," he grinned, "it is my journal. I have kept one most of my life. I record my thoughts, hopes, observations, experiences – that sort of thing. I have filled several books already."

He turned it so she got a glimpse of the pages, and she cocked a quizzical eyebrow. "You draw, also?"

Theodred nodded, explaining, "My brother taught me. I like to illustrate some of what I write – it makes it clearer and captures the scene from my mind's eye."

Ringing bells turned Theodred's attention and he looked up with a smile. "I love it here – the bells, the green hills, the whole merry atmosphere! Will you show us around town later today? I want to get out among the people and see life here close up."

Kata's heart leapt into her throat, and she fought to control her eager response. His request was merely that of an interested visitor; it did not indicate any particular regard for her or desire for her company. "Of course. I would be happy to do so." She paused, then added, "Those are the morning bells so breakfast will be served soon. Will you come in?"

Nodding, he closed his journal and tucked it under his arm, saying, "Definitely! I am famished! I think this mountain air stimulates my appetite!" Offering his arm to her, he looked ruefully down at his attire and commented, "Though perhaps I need to stop by my room and make myself a bit more presentable. I seem to have forgotten I am no longer camping in a tent with only Freahelm to see me!"

Kata refrained from telling him she thought he looked wonderful just as he was, and merely smiled in response.

When their plans were made known over the morning meal, Fritha and Freahelm elected to accompany them, and they struck out shortly after the meal. The marketplace was already bustling and Theodred eagerly moved among the stalls and shops to observe their wares. He had heard from the hobbits, who had visited his father and entertained him with many tales, that Dale was renowned for their toys. Many such wondrous items were on display, and he determined to purchase a few things for his nieces and nephews before returning home.

They came upon a puppet show and stopped to watch for a time, laughing at the antics of the characters. Slyly, Fritha announced to the two men, "You should get Kata to put on a show for you. She is quite adept with marionettes, and often entertains us in the evenings."

Kata flushed bright red at her sister's words, while both men turned to look at her. "Truly? I should very much like to see that!" Theodred exclaimed. "This is wonderful!"

Torn between embarrassment and pleasure, Kata smiled shyly and told him, "I should be happy to do so."

Now that he knew of her skill in that area, Theodred plied her with questions about the puppets and how things were done. Apparently, his curiosity was insatiable, and she was overwhelmed at his enthusiastic study of this new recreation. She promised to show him her stage and puppets when they returned to the palace.

After a leisurely dinner outside an inn, they made their way back. Theodred wasted no time in pursuing his interest in puppets, so Freahelm and Fritha spent the afternoon quietly conversing while Kata went through a thorough explanation of the art. Over the next several days, Theodred sought out Kata for more instruction, even pressing her to teach him how to work the marionettes. It took quite some time for him to begin to master the intricacy of working the various strings, but Kata could not complain about all the time needed to be spent in his company, and in close quarters.

The two visitors also whiled away their time in Dale riding through the hills and surrounding country. Gird, in spite of his initial wariness of them, had warmed considerably, at least enough to be willing to extol the virtues of his homeland and eventual kingdom.

The one thing he lamented was the poor quality of their horses. Between the dragon Smaug and the minions of Sauron, their herds had been almost totally decimated. While not so reliant on horses as Rohan, they were still a necessary commodity and being so far from the southern kingdom made it difficult to buy fresh bloodstock or arrange for breeding rights.

As a gesture of friendship between them and their countries, Theodred volunteered the services of his stallion to cover any mares that were in heat while they were there, and Freahelm readily followed suit. That alone earned them a greater portion of goodwill from their reluctant host.

Supper one night, however, almost undid the progress that had been made when Theodred asked Gird, "What did the Men of Dale do during the War of the Ring? I know the history of Gondor and Rohan, but not of your land."

Gird stiffened, his jaw tightening with offense at the possible slight. Kata recognized her brother's defensive nature kicking in and quickly stepped in, clarifying, "Theodred is very interested in history, Gird. He means no offense by his question. He is merely curious."

Theodred had not realized how his question would be taken, and hastened to assure the other man of his intent, "My apologies! I did not mean to suggest in any way that Dale had not done their part! But we do not hear much history beyond that of Gondor and Rohan, so I am not familiar with the situation you faced. I would suspect you had the Easterlings to deal with, at the very least, and I know Orcs infested the Misty Mountains farther south, so likely in the north as well."

Gird visibly relaxed and nodded, "Sauron sought information about the One Ring here, but my great-grandfather, Brand, would not answer their questions, even though he feared an attack from the east. While the Men of Gondor and Rohan were fighting Mordor at Minas Tirith and the Black Gate, the Easterlings came upon us. Brand was killed in the battle, along with Dain who led the Dwarves as our allies. Men and Dwarves took refuge in the Lonely Mountain, but when news of the victory in the South reached them, they came forth and managed to drive away their attackers. My grandfather, Bard the Second, attended the coronation of King Elessar, and we have remained an independent realm under his protection as King of the Reunited Kingdom."

Theodred mulled this over for a time, then pressed further, "Tell me more about the dragon Smaug, and I have heard that your people can understand the language of thrushes. I want to learn about that, also."

Gird grinned down at his plate. Clearly Kata was right; Theodred was interested rather than judgemental, and he could not object to that. The rest of the meal and afterwards was spent familiarizing their visitor with tales of Dale. Kata, Fritha and their father contributed information, but the bulk of the storytelling was done by Gird. Freahelm didn't appear to enjoy the evening nearly so much as his friend, but even he acknowledged that the tales were interesting, and certainly ones he had never heard before.

xxxxx

The two men of Rohan had been in Dale for nearly four weeks. Kata had volunteered to show them around Lake-town also, and having a guide was preferable to poking around on their own, so they accepted her offer. Fritha was always willing to make the trip to Esgaroth and indulge in a bit of shopping, so the small party secured passage on a boat and made their visit.

Though Kata had been immensely pleased with all the time she had been able to spend in Theodred's company, she was all too aware that the time of their departure was drawing near. He had not specified a date, but several times in conversation he had mentioned returning home before winter set in. This far north, cold came earlier than it did in the south, and likely during October they would begin to get inclement weather leading into the wintry season. Already, they were beginning to face more rainy days.

The most distressing thing, though, was that Kata could not see that she was any closer to a relationship with Theodred than she had been when he arrived. Granted, they had become very good friends and spent considerable time together. She had discovered that he usually arose early, and could be found writing in his journal in the gazebo, a spot he seemed to favor for the view of the valley and the river below. He had never given any indication that he objected to her joining him, though she tried not to put in appearance for at least a half hour after he arrived, so he would have time to write without her there. And when she did join him, he quite willingly shared passages in his journal with her, regaling her with tales of their travels, of his home and showing her pictures of various things that he had drawn.

But did he care for her? That was not so clear. In many ways, he seemed to treat her as he would a sister, and that was not at all what she desired. Yet, she did not know what to do about it. Was it only as Fritha suggested, and he was just too wrapped up in other things right now to pay close attention to settling down with a woman, or was it rather that he merely was not interested in her in particular? Now that he had seen her land, even though he clearly liked it here and was enjoying himself, she did not think she could expect him to return often, if ever.

So she plastered on a smile and tried not to let her feelings show, but his nearness was such sweet torture. She tormented herself with insecure thoughts wondering why he should ever be interested in her anyway. Surely a prince of Rohan would desire a sophisticated, worldly noblewoman of his homeland, or of Gondor. Yes, she was the daughter of a King, but Dale was far different than the South, and she was very young and…boring. She could not claim to be even remotely exotic, or fascinating or beautiful or desirable. Rather, she was just a nice looking girl who played with puppets! What was there to interest a man in that? It might amuse him, but it was hardly the sort of talent he would seek in a wife. And, so, she vacillated between euphoria when she was with him and discouragement when they were apart.

xxxxx

Fritha had been right about one thing, however. Theodred seemed to be the only one unaware of Kata's feelings for him. Even Freahelm did not miss the way the girl looked at his friend, or the emotions that flitted over her face when they were together. At length, he thought it wise to bring the situation to Theodred's attention, since clearly he was not cognizant of it.

He found Theodred seated on the balcony of his room one afternoon, and drew up a chair nearby. They sat in silence for a time and then Freahelm ventured, "What do you intend to do about Kata when we leave?"

Theodred cocked an eyebrow at him and asked, "Do? What do you mean? What is there to do?"

Freahelm sighed and shook his head, replying, "Are you truly so blind that you cannot see the moon-eyes the girl constantly casts at you? She is in love with you, Theodred!"

"A mere infatuation, my friend. It will pass, and she will move on to someone else. Do not be alarmed," Theodred patiently replied.

Freahelm stared at him in disbelief, then incredulously asked, "Where did you learn about women, Theodred? That is utterly ridiculous! They do not just 'get over' fancying themselves in love. They take such things very seriously, and they can be greatly hurt if you mishandle the whole matter."

"What makes you such an expert?" Theodred asked, with some annoyance.

"Clearly I am more of an expert than you! If nothing else, I have a few years on you and I have observed more women. If you have not noticed her reaction to you, then I can only assume you also have not noticed Gird watching you like a hawk whenever you are with her, or the way the men of Dale cast resentful eyes at the both of us for interloping with their princesses." He paused, then continued, "Theodred, listen to me. I am not pushing you to marry the girl, but you must acknowledge her feelings and treat her gently. At the very least, I think you like the girl and do not wish to hurt her, but your spending so much time with her in such a relaxed manner is giving her false hope that you are feeling more than you do. You need to do something about it."

Theodred considered his words, and sighed. There was no denying that Kata obviously enjoyed his company and eagerly sought to spend time with him, but he had never supposed that there was more to it than friendship. If Freahelm was right about her regard for him, then he did need to tread lightly. He would not wish to hurt her, or offend her family, in any way.

"Any suggestions?" he asked quietly.

Freahelm shrugged. "That is difficult to say. I do not know what you are feeling, or what you want to do. Unless you are madly in love with her and intend to propose before we leave, I suspect she will be hurt regardless of what you do. But I think you need to speak with her before then, and try to come to some sort of understanding about how you view things versus how she sees them, and whether or not you ever expect that to change." He rose and clasped his friend's shoulder, "You are a good man. I know you will do the right thing. Try to imagine what your mother might recommend!"

Theodred chuckled at that final bit of advice, and watched in silence as his friend left the room. He sat for some time staring out at the view, then grabbed up his journal and headed for the gazebo. He had found that was an excellent place to collect his thoughts and write them down, and usually the process of writing helped him clarify his thinking on matters. Perhaps evaluating this on paper would help him reach a decision of some kind.

He had been scribbling away for over an hour when Gird suddenly appeared. "Theodred, could you come help? We have some mares to breed, and your stallion does better if you are present. He is giving my men some trouble." Rising quickly, Theodred marked his place with his pencil and set his journal down to hurry after the other man.

A short time later, Kata wandered out to the gazebo, hoping more than expecting to find Theodred. When she spotted his journal lying on the bench, she knew he had been there and thought it odd that he had wandered off without it. Because he had never hesitated to let her read things in it, it never occurred to her not to open it to his current entry. Without turning back to see where it began, she picked up at the top of the current page:

"…_I am sure Freahelm is right about Kata's feelings for me. Now that I reflect on it, I can see that she has given indication of tender thoughts and I have been too blind to notice. But what should I do about it? I do not wish to hurt her, and I fear that is what will happen. Oh, how I wish Mother was here to talk to about this! She has ever guided me aright, and she would help me do what was best now."_

Tears clouded over Kata's vision, and she closed the book as she choked back a sob. What a fool she had been! He clearly did not care for her, and was merely trying to determine some way not to be cruel in telling her so. Dropping the book back on the bench, she fled inside to sob into her pillow.

xxxxx

The breeding shed had taken more time than expected, but Theodred still had almost an hour before supper to finish his journal entry, and he returned to the gazebo. Picking up where he left off, he continued:

"_I cannot deny that Kata is a lovely, fascinating girl. I gave her too little credit in Minas Tirith, when I dismissed her to Freahelm as a mere child. In my time here in Dale, I have seen how charming, poised, intelligent and talented she is. She shares my passion for history and storytelling and, the truth is, she would make an appealing companion. I am not sure, however, that I am ready to consider marriage. There is still traveling that I wish to do before I settle in one place, and that life would not be possible with a wife to support. But is it fair to ask Kata to consider waiting for me? What if I were to change my mind or fall in love with some other woman along the way? What if she were to grow tired of waiting and could not get word to me about her change of affections? We live so very far apart and, if there is someday an alliance, I would be tearing her away from her family and home to live in a distant land._

_So many questions, and so few answers. But perhaps I can only find answers in speaking with Kata about this. It is not a matter that I alone can decide. Her future hangs in the balance also, and she deserves the right to voice her concerns and express her desires. I must make time before I leave to have a long talk with her, and see if we can reach some agreement."_

The suppertime bells were sounding throughout the city as Theodred closed his journal, and returned to his room to wash for the meal.

xxxxx

"…and then he dropped the pole and dived in the water after it! It got away anyhow, so he was both fishless and soaking wet. Amrothos was laughing so hard he nearly fell overboard as well while trying to get him back into the boat!" As he concluded his tale, to the laughter of all, Freahelm thumped the subject of his story on the back.

Theodred looked up, having been distracted with his thoughts and missing most of what was being said, but smiled weakly since it appeared to have been amusing. The meal thus far had been a bit tense and subdued. Kata had appeared at supper clearly having been crying, though no one ventured to publicly ask her why. Even so, Theodred had the uneasy impression that it related to him.

When the meal finally concluded, Kata excused herself, pleading a headache, and left the others to finish their wine. From where he was seated, Theodred had a view of the hallway, and he noticed that she veered off from going up the stairs, instead slipping into the entertainment parlor.

As the group at last broke up, he was free to follow her. His entrance into the room was apparently so quiet, or she was so preoccupied, that she did not make note of it. Not wanting to startle her too much, he cleared his throat to alert her to his presence and she whirled around to face him.

It was not difficult to read her emotions at the sight of who was there. The distress was evident, and her eyes were again brimming with tears. Turning away so he would not see, she tried to surreptitiously brush them away. "Did you need something, Theodred?" she asked with unsteady voice.

Frantically he tried to think what to say to her. Something had changed, and not knowing exactly what it was made the conversation more difficult than it already was.

"Kata," he began, moving closer, "I think we need to talk. Freahelm has brought it to my attention that I am both blind and ignorant."

She moved quickly away, staying turned away from him, and answering, "You need say nothing, Theodred. I know you do not have feelings for me. I read your thoughts on the matter."

For a moment, Theodred was puzzled by her comment, and then he grasped what she meant. "You read my journal?"

"I…I did not think you would mind as you have shown me so many things from it. I did not realize…"

With a sob, she fled toward the door, but Theodred was quicker. He caught her before she could leave and, though she struggled briefly against his hold on her arm, he would not release her. "Kata, you did not read everything," he said softly.

"I…I read enough. You are very kind to be considerate of my feelings, but I know you do not–"

He cut her off, "No, you did _not_ read enough. I was interrupted in what I was writing. All I had down on paper was the facts of the matter as I pondered what to do and how I felt. Not until I returned to the gazebo later did I add my personal feelings and intentions." Pulling her around to face him, he added, "I am very fond of you, Kata, and I apologize for not noticing the strength of your regard for me. No doubt I have caused you much pain, and that was never my intent. I…we need to discuss this. I could easily see myself asking for your hand in marriage – someday. But you are very young, and I am not yet ready for that responsibility. As much as I wish to ease your unhappiness, I believe it would do you a disservice were I to make any promises to you, or seek any in return."

At last her eyes came up to meet his, questioningly, and she murmured, "What do you mean?"

With a sigh, he elaborated, "I mean, much could change, for both or either of us, before I am ready to make a home in one place with one person. I should very much like to keep in touch with you whenever possible, and return to visit you again, but I do not think we should make any pledge beyond that just now. It could be that in time you would find someone else you prefer to marry. It could be that I would meet someone else and my heart would be drawn more strongly elsewhere. While I do not anticipate that happening for either of us, I cannot discount the possibility. Can…can you live with that?"

For several long moments, Kata stared at him. Certainly, this was not the declaration she had hoped for from him, but truly it was more than she thought would ever come after what she had read. "I could live with that if you kissed me," she murmured.

As his expression changed, she realized with horror that she had actually spoken that thought aloud. Her eyes went round in dismay, and she raised her hand to clamp over her mouth. "Theodred, I am so sorry! I did not mean to say that! Please forgive me!"

He stepped closer, pulling her up against him as he gave her a roguish grin. "I think you _did_ mean to say that, just not where I could hear!" His lips brushed lightly over hers, then wandered lightly over her face. "I have disappointed you in so many ways, surely at least in this I may fulfill your desire."

And then his mouth closed over hers. Kata lost herself in the embrace. It was sweeter and more delicious than any imagining had been. Her arms slid around his neck, eagerly welcoming the caress of his lips, and only the need for air finally forced them apart.

As he drew back, Theodred rested his forehead against hers. "Are we agreed, then? We will continue as good friends, and see how we feel when the time is right?"

Slowly, she nodded. "I…I do not think my heart will be turned elsewhere, but I would have you desire me as much as I desire you. I will wait."

xxxxx

Theodred gave a final wave before the two men rode toward the docks. Once they had settled their mounts on the boat for the journey down the River Running to the Old Forest Road, the pair took up position along the boat's railing and watched Dale sliding away into the distance.

After awhile, Theodred ventured, "How did you leave things with Fritha?"

Freahelm shrugged, saying, "She is a pleasant girl and I enjoyed her company, but she made it clear she would not seriously consider accepting the suit of a soldier. And I cannot truthfully say that I was romantically inclined toward her. Should our paths cross again, if she is still unwed, then likely we will again spend time together, but otherwise, it is finished." He paused, then asked, "What of you and Kata?"

"We will wait and see what happens. The time is not right for firm decisions just yet."

Freahem nodded acceptingly, then commented, "We must remember to secure a supply of those wonderful honeycakes from the Beornings before we start home. I do not believe I have tasted anything quite so fine!"

The morning air was rent by Theodred's hearty laughter.

TBC

5-9-06


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: FYI - I added an Explanatory Note to ch. 1 of this story regarding travel times/conditions. You may or may not be interested in going back to read that. It clarifies some things I didn't say much about at the time.**_

_**And, yep, Eomer and Lothiriel saddle up the old Whinney-bago and head off down the road again themselves...**_

**_Sorry this has taken so long to get written. I had a direction change in my thinking on where this was going and that kind of stalled things (you can thank/blame lady scribe of avandell for that!). I think I have the details worked out now, so hopefully it will be a simpler matter to sit down and write it going forward. Thanks go to Tracey for helping me sort it all through in my mind. Next up, I hope to get the next chapter of Leaves of Our Lives posted._**

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 5 (begins October, 43 IV)**

Freahelm eyed his friend in the firelight with vast amusement. "You truly are not very good at that!"

Theodred paused in his manipulation of the marionette he had purchased in Dale and retorted, "Kata said I was learning quickly! You cannot expect me to be an expert yet!"

"An expert, no, but Kata is wildly in love with you and her judgment is not to be credited! She worships the very ground your feet touch!"

"Fine!" Theodred replied, "I will put this away and _not_ seek to give you entertainment tonight. Instead, I will write in my journal, leaving you to go out of your mind with boredom for the remainder of the evening until you decide to turn in for the night!"

Freahelm chuckled, and shrugged. "I was going to turn in now anyway, so it is of little matter. Put that toy away and come to bed. We have a long ride tomorrow."

Grinning, Theodred did as he was bid.

xx

They had been riding less than half an hour the next morning, and Theodred was finishing the last of his honeycake from breakfast.

Suddenly Freahelm glanced sideways at him and taunted, "You truly are a dreadful puppeteer, my friend. Why do you persist?"

Pretending to be affronted, Theodred sneered haughtily, "I am getting better and you will eat your words soon enough! Besides, those children at that village where we stopped thought my efforts were wonderful."

Freahelm laughed heartily, "_Those children_ had never seen anything like it before. They did not realize how awful you are because they have never seen a _good_ puppeteer!"

In response, Theodred threw his last bite of honeycake at his companion, but Freahelm merely caught it and popped it in his mouth with a grin, nodding his thanks.

Chuckling together, they rode in silence for most of the remainder of the morning.

xxxxx

The ride across the Wold and through the Eastemnet was quiet. The land was rather unchanging, and was largely easy going for the horses. They had found a Beorning to raft them down the Anduin to where it met the Limlight, and then they had struck overland. There were few fixed settlements in the Wold, and only slightly more as they entered the Eastemnet. Most of the inhabitants lived a nomadic existence and stopped wherever was appropriate to their herds' needs. In a few cases, small villages had sprung up and the nomads used them as touchpoints, or gathered there during the winter months.

The two travelers skirted alongside Fangorn Forest most of their way southwest, then followed the Entwash River south to the crossing at Entwade. From there, it was a day's journey home.

Both felt the excitement as Meduseld came into their view. It was good to be home. Much as they were enjoying the traveling, it would be wonderful to see their families again, sleep in a real bed and not have to chase down their next meal.

The gate guards detained them, inquiring after their travels and welcoming them back, so it took awhile to make their way up the hill. Freahelm's home was farther down the hill, so the two men parted company as he split off there and Theodred continued on alone. Stablehands rushed forward and, for a change, he allowed them to tend his horse for him, eager to get inside and be reunited with loved ones.

The Golden Hall was virtually empty as he entered, delayed again at the door by welcome from those guards as well. Allowing his eyes to adjust to the lower light inside, he moved quickly down the length of the hall, but before he had reached the firepit mid way, Gamling entered from the side and smiled at him. "Theodred! Welcome home! I take it your parents do not yet know you are here?"

Theodred shook his head, "We are just arrived."

"Your father is in his study with Elfwine. I will have the queen join you there."

Theodred continued on his course, taking a deep breath before giving a quick knock and then stepping into the room. Both occupants looked up, startled, but then burst into wide grins. "Theodred!" they exclaimed simultaneously, rushing over to fervently embrace him.

"Look at you!" Eomer teased, ruffling his sun-bleached hair. "Finally, you look like a true Rohirrim! And you had to go to Gondor to accomplish it!"

Just then, Lothiriel burst through the door and flung herself into Theodred's arms, hugging him tightly. "Mother," he murmured warmly.

After several very long minutes, Lothiriel's hold on him eased, and she pulled back to look him up and down. Apparently satisfied that he was returning to her in essentially the same shape as when he left, her hand came up to caress his cheek. "Welcome home, dearest! You look well." She too noted his blond locks with a smile and ran her fingers through them. "This is different!"

He laughed. "Blame it on Uncle Amrothos and the sun of Dol Amroth. We spent so much time on the water and out in the sun that it lightened considerably." Lifting up a section of hair, he revealed the darker underpinnings, saying, "But it is still me at the roots!"

The family had not noticed that Gamling was lingering in the doorway, but now he stepped into the room, asking, "Shall I send word to the rest of your brood and invite them to supper this night?"

"A wonderful idea, Gamling! Thank you!" Lothiriel acknowledged.

As the Doorward departed, the three settled in to discuss their various travels and bring Theodred up to date on happenings in Edoras.

Supper proved to be an exciting affair that evening. Freahelm and his family had also been invited to join them, and despite Freahelm's relentless teasing, Theodred insisted on showing off his marionette skills to the nieces and nephews. Even the adults found it entertaining, and most everyone showed greater appreciation for his talent than Freahelm.

After the meal and the puppet show, Freahelm and Theodred distributed other toys and gifts they carried back, and then everyone relaxed, chatting in everchanging groups through the course of the night.

Theodred was not surprised to find Theomund examining the marionettes more closely. Taking a seat across from his brother, he silently watched his study then asked, "Could you make something like this?"

Theomund furrowed his brow as he more closely inspected the articulation points, answering, "Possibly. It would be a challenge certainly, but I think I might enjoy the attempt."

"Kata says it is always difficult to come up with new puppets to work. Most of the makers tend to stick to certain tried and true forms and do not attempt much variation. I was hoping you might attempt to make some new ones for her – I had in mind to do one of Mother and Father for her to add to her collection."

Theomund grinned at the prospect, commenting, "Now _that_ would be a challenge, indeed! I should very much like to try it. I must caution you, though, it could take awhile."

"We have all winter!" Theodred replied, scooping Eledher up onto his lap. The boy had come over to join them in their perusal of the puppets.

"Will you show me how to do these?" Eledher asked.

"Of course! Though I warn you, _some_ people claim I am not the best suited to be teaching such a skill!" Theodred tossed a look of feigned annoyance in Freahelm's direction, and both he and Theomund began laughing.

Eledher wasn't sure why they were laughing, but having secured the hoped-for promise, was willing not to question further on the matter. Hopping down from Theodred's lap, he scurried off to play with the other children. Theodred watched him a moment, then turned his eyes on Fele who was talking to Theodwyn further down the table.

Quietly he commented, "So, brother, you are finally going to be a father – in the true sense of the word." Fele's swollen stomach had been readily noticed.

Theomund beamed with pride. "I am!" Watching his wife with adoring eyes, he murmured, "It is the greatest gift she could give me."

"What of Eledher?" Theodred asked curiously.

Turning back to level his gaze on his brother, Theomund firmly assured him, "Eledher is the same as my own. While I am delighted to actually father a child, I will never love it more than my 'first'."

Teasingly, Theodred told him, "Personally, I hope you have a dozen girls to torment you! Surely that would shake your annoying imperturbable attitude!" The two brothers broke up into laughter at the comment.

"Perhaps! But I would welcome each and every one of them, all the same." Theodred couldn't argue that point. His brother had always adored children and was very good with them. In some ways, by marrying so late in life, he had remained youthful far longer than other men seemed to, and thus he related well to children.

Theodred's one disappointment in his homecoming was that Arawine was not present. He had ridden to Aldburg and was not due back for a couple of days. So eager was he to see his "twin", Theodred was half tempted to ride out and meet his nephew, but decided it would not be fair to his family, his horse or his tailbone to do so, and thus he reluctantly was forced to wait impatiently for Arawine's return.

Heavy rain the next two days slowed things even further, but finally by week's end, the pair were joyfully reunited. Over the course of the next month, you could barely find one without the other being there also. The family couldn't imagine that they had that much left to talk about, but the two never seemed to tire of one another's company. Theodred delighted in regaling him with all the details of his travels, even admitting the boar incident, though swearing him to secrecy, and particularly in telling him about Kata and his time in Dale.

Theodred had done as Elfwine had instructed, gathering information on increasing commerce and communication with that land. The Beornings were willing to maintain both a rafting service and a trail alongside the Anduin, in exchange for tolls. After the War they and the Woodmen had been given the central portion of Eryn Lasgalen as their domain. They were easily in a position to add waystations along the Anduin's eastern shore, as well as set up a ferry service at the confluence of the Anduin and the Limlight. This could be used for both travelers and communication or trade. They already had the waystations in place through Eryn Lasgalen, along the Old Forest Road, and they maintained the crossing at the Old Ford. There had been talk of rebuilding the bridge there and that was also a possibility.

In Wilderland, the River Running served well as a travel route, and already had some boating services in active play. The only hitch was the waterfall at the southern end of Long Lake where the river exited from the Lake, but there was easy portage around the falls and it created little delay.

King Darf had welcomed increased interaction with the outside world and looked forward to making it so, but as the bulk of the route there lay through the lands of Rohan, much of the decision on matters rested with King Eomer. After several discussions between him, Elfwine and Theodred, the plan was hatched for Arawine to be made Rohan's liaison with Dale. Come spring, he could begin to arrange for roads, waystations, trade agreements, etc. to set the entire thing in motion.

Arawine had readily agreed to the role he was being asked to play. As the eventual heir to the throne, he knew he had a responsibility to 'learn the trade', as it were, and what better way than getting to travel, see new places and particularly to visit a spot much spoken of by his beloved uncle.

The other thing Theodred had tentatively initiated was having the royal family of Dale visit Rohan when the winter weather had passed. He had discussed it with King Darf before he departed Dale, and it had been agreed that they would come for a visit in late March or early April – as soon as the weather permitted travel. That would not delay Theodred and Freahelm much from further adventures, and he had known his parents would not object to the invitation or visit.

xxxxx

The rainy weather of autumn soon faded into the snowy days of winter. Remembering many cold, rainy nights in a tent, Theodred relished the comforts of home. Adventuring was fine, on a limited basis, but all in all, he thought he much preferred the warmth of a hearth.

Word had been received from Linhir that Morwen had delivered a fine son, with his father's distinctive hair, whom they had named Randir. His father had chosen the name, which meant wanderer in Sindarin, and Morwen was a little concerned it might prove as prophetic for the son as the father, but she could refuse Caranhir nothing, and so the name stuck.

Already Lothiriel was planning a trip at the first sign of spring, and after his brief taste of freedom, Eomer relished the thought of another outing. Elfwine had managed impeccably in his absence, which had been reassuring to those who had been naysayers prior to the royal couples' excursion to the Shire. Eomer suspected it would not be nearly so difficult to escape this time.

Theomund had made considerable progress in his efforts at creating the two requested marionettes. He gave Theodred regular updates, and Theodred had stopped by his workshop a time or two to see them in person. Most of the bodies were complete, but now Theomund was facing his greater challenge – the faces. He was trying to decide whether to attempt carving the faces, which could be disastrous to the whole project if it didn't go well, or to just paint them. Artist that he was, he was insistent that the faces look very much like his parents and be readily recognizable. He practiced on numerous heads, trying to get just the right features and expressions on them. Even so, he finally decided to mix carving and painting to get the best effect.

He had spent long evenings by the fire practicing his carving on the heads, and Eledher had become fascinated with what he was doing. Consequently, he had given the boy a knife and some wood, then had Freawine provide basic instruction in wood carving. Eledher was quite content to whittle away, sitting at Theomund's feet.

Much as he was enjoying being home, Theodred was beginning to eagerly look forward to spring and their return to traveling. His parents' tales about their trip to the Shire had fired his imagination in that regard. While in Minas Tirith, before they had left for Dale, King Elessar had given him a letter directing the staff of his palace at Annuminas to extend the young men every courtesy upon their arrival. He had also supplied them with detailed directions for finding Rivendell, so they might visit there and meet his brothers, Elladan and Elrohir.

With the advent of mid-February, despite the weather still being chill, Eomer and Lothiriel were off to visit with Morwen and greet their newest grandchild. Theodred decided to accompany them, using the stopover in Minas Tirith to send word to Dale and inquire about their plans. If they were coming soon enough, he would await them in the White City and journey with them back to Edoras.

It gave him a strange sensation to be traveling without Freahelm, he had gotten so used to having the other man at his side. Still, it was rather enjoyable being with his parents and getting an idea of what their travels had been like. Just as his mother had indicated, his father seemed to revert to Third Marshal Eomer and run around like a man less than half his age. And, even more amusing was the fact that his mother seemed to encourage it. The more he watched, the more it was evident to him that she knew how to help his father relax and enjoy himself. Over the years, she seemed to have refined her technique, and he knew that few of the men who were his father's age appeared as youthful and energetic. In some ways, he felt like he was seeing his parents anew, learning things about them he had never before noticed. And it only served to increase his admiration for them both.

They enjoyed a brief visit with their friends in Minas Tirith, Theodred sent his message north, and then they boarded a boat to sail down the Anduin to Pelargir and would travel overland from there to Linhir. Faramir and Eowyn joined them for the boat trip, but continued on south to Dol Amroth to visit the relations there.

Morwen was doing well when they arrived, but the house was in total dissarray. Caring for the new baby, as well as a toddler, was keeping her busy and tired, too tired to hold the line against Caranhir's casual habits. The servants made an effort to keep on top of things, but it was clear that Morwen was finally giving in to the inevitability of the matter. This was probably in large part due to having had a colicky baby for several months. She had discovered that the only thing that really worked well in soothing Randir was to keep him in quiet, darkened rooms and humming to him. To his credit, Caranhir had been very good about keeping Mirlas occupied much of the time, taking her along with him whenever he could, to allow Morwen some slight reprieve.

The baby was gradually showing improvement and, after they had been there over a week, he seemed to have mostly stopped his excessive crying, for which Eomer was grateful. None of his own children had been like this, and he was finding the loss of sleep difficult to deal with for an extended period of time.

Mirlas quickly had her grandfather wrapped around her little finger, and he spoiled her terribly for the duration of their stay. Lothiriel pitied her parents having to cope with her once they were gone, and she could no longer get anything she wanted with a cherubic smile and wet kiss on the cheek.

While they were there, Amrothos and Danwen came north to spend a sennight with them, bringing a pile of gifts for the baby. Having only had one child, who in turn only had one child, Danwen was feeling bereft of babies to shower her affections upon, so she took every opportunity to spend time with the grandchildren of others.

As mid-March approached, word came from King Elessar that the party from Dale would be arriving at the end of March, so they began to pack up and prepare for their return home. Caranhir promised to bring the family to Edoras for an extended visit, when the baby was older.

Theodred found he was looking forward to seeing Kata and her family again. They had sent word back to Elfwine of their expected arrival date, so they could be prepared. King Darf's missive had given them a better idea of how many guests to expect.

As it turned out, Fritha had not accompanied them. During the winter, she had become quite involved with a young nobleman in Lake-town, and decided she would rather stay home on this trip.

It was clear that Kata was thrilled to see Theodred again, and her eyes followed him from the instant they were reunited. Gird also seemed pleased to see him again. He had gained a grudging admiration for the young man, once he had come to trust his motives a bit more than he had initially. Kata's response to the man still worried him somewhat, but it was not Theodred's fault she was infatuated, and it was evident he had no desire to hurt or misuse her.

Though the royal family of Dale had met the royals of Rohan several years past, it was long enough ago that Theodred made introductions once more. All stayed at Minas Tirith for a few days, to allow the people of Dale to rest before the next leg of their very long trip.

Lothiriel invited Kata to join her on her shopping trips, and a bit reluctantly the girl did so. She would much rather have been with Theodred, but he was often off with Gird, and so it seemed a pleasant enough way to while away some time. The queen soon had Kata at ease with her relaxed manner, and through some careful questions Lothiriel was quickly able to get a sense of Kata's feelings for her son.

Without realizing how open she was being, Kata told how her mother had died some six years ago of a noxious tumor, her enthusiasm for puppetry and how very special she thought Theodred was. She had even confided the agreement that the two had made when they last had seen one another. Lothiriel was a bit concerned by that, since the advantage of it all seemed on Theodred's side, but for the time being she thought it best to stay out of the matter. Much could change over time.

Soon enough, the group was on the road to Edoras. Fortunately, a warm spell put in appearance, making for a pleasant and dry journey. Theodred eagerly relayed tale after tale to the visitors, about Rohan and the history of the places they were passing along the way. A week later, Meduseld came into view, in all its magificence. They had gotten this first glimpse as they were beginning to set up camp for the night. To their surprise, just as they were sitting down to eat supper, a party of riders approached under the king's banner, led by Arawine. He had known they would be arriving soon and had begged permission to ride out and meet them.

Taking the opportunity, Eomer introduced his grandson to the Dale contingent, indicating he was to be their liaison in getting trade and communication going between their lands. Readily King Darf and Gird greeted the newcomer and spent the entirety of supper discussing ideas on the matter.

Likely neither of the visitors noticed Arawine's frequent glances toward Theodred and Kata, and Theodred knew his nephew was anxious to speak with him and become better acquainted with the young lady of which he had heard so much. Not until supper was concluding, however, was Theodred able to sneak Arawine from their clutches, with the help of his father who had guessed the two would want to talk and intervened to keep Darf and Gird occupied the rest of the evening.

Theodred was delighted when Arawine and Kata hit it off immediately. Theodred had told each so much of the other, that they seemed comfortable almost instantly, feeling as though they were already friends. He would have been sorely disappointed if either had not been able to like the other. The three of them stayed up far later than they should have laughing and talking, each young man trying to outdo the other with embarrassing tales.

When at length they settled in for the night, Arawine sharing Theodred's tent, Theodred queried, "So, what do you think of her? She is delightful, is she not?"

Arawine promptly replied, "She is all you said and more, uncle. I look forward to getting to know her better, in Edoras and while I am in Dale."

With a grin in the dark, the two settled into their bedrolls, and Theodred drifted to sleep awash in satisfaction.

**TBC**

FYI: Colic is the generic term given to uncontrollable excessive crying which lasts for an extended amount of time and occurs three or four times a week by an infant between the ages of 10 days to 4 months. It is estimated that about 25 of newborn babies will exhibit signs of colic as they grow.

Over 90 of babies with colic would fall under this category either partially or fully. Babies can have a difficult time getting used to the huge amount of stimuli present in life outside of Mom's body. Their reaction to this stimuli overload is to cry and scream. This would explain why the colic tends to disappear at three to four months of age. At this age, your baby's nervous system has had time to mature and learn how to deal effectively with the stimuli which previously caused such an overload.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 6 (begins April, 44 IV)**

Their return to Edoras was just in time to greet the arrival of another new babe. A welcome feast was postponed, with the ready consent of the Dale party, when Fele went into labor only hours after they reached Meduseld. Lothiriel quickly went to her side, to assist Frideswide as needed and help with Eledher.

Theomund had been twelve years when his youngest brother was born and, though concerned for his mother, not terribly interested in the whole matter. Over the years, he had lingered on the fringes as his siblings had children, and while he welcomed each new babe and soon became a beloved uncle to them, he had never before truly known the anxiety that attended the birth of a child. This was his beloved Fele crying out in pain; this was his dear Eledher looking frightened by what was happening to his mother.

Lothiriel spent most of her time with the two of them, soothing their nerves and offering reassurances, while leaving Frideswide available to be with her daughter and aid her through the birthing process. Theomund was torn between a desire to hold his wife's hand and offer his strength to her, and the dread of what actually seeing her would do to his heart. His was such a gentle soul that he knew it would rip him apart that he had been instrumental in bringing such agony upon someone so beloved. Never mind that it was the natural course of things, that she happily bore the pain to give him a child. No, he could best deal with this from a distance, cruel though it seemed to him. Even his mother's assurances that Fele likely was too busy to notice his absence did not entirely quell his feelings of guilt over the matter. But Eledher needed him also. There was some solace in that.

The birthing went long into the night and not until nearly dawn did the babe come forth – a fine son, which they named Haldred. Once it was determined that mother and child were well, and out of any danger, the happy family sought rest. Lothiriel took Eledher back to the Golden Hall with her for Dariel to tend while she slept, leaving his parents to rest also without having to see to his needs. Frideswide remained on hand to help as needed.

When Theomund and Fele had married, Theomund had insisted he would not have Frideswide live anywhere other than with them, unless she desired it. She had rather expected he would wish to establish his own home and be free of parental interference, but his generous nature did not see things that way. They were his family – all three of them. He had insisted that she choose any room in the house that she liked, and though it was downstairs rather than up with most of the family bedchambers, she had selected an unused room on the ground floor with a sunny view of the garden. Because Fele continued to work, without objection from Theomund who knew she enjoyed it, Frideswide had insisted she be given the charge to keep the house for them. Even so, Theomund had finally relented and hired a household servant to assist her. He did not want her to feel she must work for her keep. Whatever she did in his house must be by choice rather than obligation.

Lothiriel was grateful to find, upon rising from her nap, that Dariel had already taken it upon herself to make arrangements for supper that evening. Privately, it pleased her that Dariel felt free to step into the role as head of the household, even with Lothiriel in residence. Far from feeling threatened, she knew the younger woman would be better served gaining such experience while she was around to support her, than learning while under pressure in the Queen's absence. She had often aided Lothiriel in the past, and there had likely been a few occasions when she'd had to act during the time Eomer and Lothiriel were off traveling, but Lothiriel wanted her to feel comfortable in the role that would someday be hers as queen of the Riddermark. Dariel would never seek to supplant her in any way, and she was quite certain the woman would yield if asked to do so. Accordingly, Lothiriel made a point of letting Dariel see her pleasure and acceptance of her actions, making no effort to countermand any of her instructions.

Supper was a joyous occasion as all celebrated the newest member of the king's extended household. Lothiriel discovered that in her absence, Elfwine and Gird had hit it off tremendously well, and had spent most of the day together, in the company of their fathers, discussing proposals for their future interaction. Likely they would have snared Arawine to join them, but he and Theodred had been up early and coerced Kata into going riding with them. They knew all too well what would happen if they remained near home when their fathers were in 'diplomatic mode'. While Arawine understood he had an obligation to be a part of that diplomacy also, he was still young enough to enjoy being largely free of responsibility in that area. He would accept his role as liaison, but he did not want to spend all his time indoors discussing trade relations for hours on end.

The trio had ridden to several of the "twins'" favorite spots, ending up at the old swimming hole. It was still a bit too chill to consider a dip, but the area was beautiful and restful. Kata grinned when she saw it, claiming, "This reminds me of home! I did not expect Rohan to have such an oasis in all its rolling plains!"

Flopping down on his back, his arms behind his head, Theodred laughed up at her. "We are full of surprises!"

Catching her elbow, Arawine helped Kata be seated on a patch of grass nearby, adding, "Much of Rohan is open plains, but when you get near the mountains and rivers, it is much greener and more as I would expect Dale is."

She nodded. "Theodred said as much when he was there. Though I confess, I miss the bells."

"Me also!" Theodred assured her. "It was one of my favorite parts of the experience."

"I look forward to that, and to seeing Lake-town and all the other many things Theodred described to me. Will you be my guide?"

Kata smiled, giving a slight blush as well, "Of course! I should be happy to do so. If you are able to escape my father and brother, that is. You will not have Theodred there to help you sneak away and, as the visitor, you will have a greater responsibility to behave!"

Theodred chuckled and closed his eyes, enjoying the warming rays of the sun as he admonished, "Aye, nephew! The lady makes an excellent point. I warned you that you would one day regret being the heir!"

Arawine cocked an eyebrow at him, then ripped up a handful of dirt and grass, which he dropped in Theodred's face. The other man sat up spluttering as Kata struggled not to laugh, covering her shocked face and trying to hide her amusement.

"As heir, however, I may torment others without fear of repercussions. If they retaliate, I can have them thrown in the dungeon!" Arawine smirked.

Brushing the last of the grass from his face, Theodred suddenly lurched at his 'twin', pinning him to the ground. "I will risk it!"

The two tussled for several minutes as Kata scrambled to get out of their way, laughing so hard she got a stitch in her side. It took awhile, but finally they seemed to silently call a truce and sat back from their wrestling match, grinning broadly.

Reseating herself alongside them, Kata told them coyly, "I would congratulate the victor, but I am not certain which that would be!"

The three of them broke up laughing again, as Theodred and Arawine simultaneously answered, "Neither are we!"

They whiled away the next few hours, laughing and talking there. At one point Theodred decided Kata's lap would make an excellent pillow, but Arawine would not be outdone and jockeyed for a spot as well. Eventually, when it looked as though it might deteriorate into another wrestling match, with her trapped in the middle, Kata threatened to smother them both and resolve the matter instantly.

At length, they realized they should be getting back to wash and dress for supper that evening. The day had served to strengthen the friendship among them, and Kata realized that she felt utterly comfortable with the both of them. Apparently all the time she had spent in company with Theodred, learning to be a bit at ease with him, had transferred naturally over to Arawine. The two men were very much alike, though also different in many ways. Perhaps because he had grown up knowing he was the eventual heir to the throne, Arawine had accepted his lot in life. She could not imagine that Theodred would ever settle readily into such an existence.

Surprisingly enough, Kata had heard that when they were children, Theodred had been the quieter of the two, but in later years he had become the more boisterous and Arawine had tended to let him take the lead. Perhaps it had to do with the slight age advantage, or maybe it was connected to the expectations on them in the future. Whatever it was, it had reflected in their personalities. Many seemed to consider them virtual reflections of one another, but Kata could easily see many differences between them.

Freahelm joined them at supper, being acquainted with the visitors from Dale. He had not seemed overly surprised to learn of Fritha's reason for being absent, and it did not appear to concern him greatly, for which Kata was grateful. She had been afraid her sister had led him on and would hurt him, but clearly he was not in danger as she had thought.

Mealtime proved to be a more subdued affair than when Kata was alone with the two young men. It was evident they well understood that they needed to behave themselves here, but with the two sitting next to one another and Kata across from them, she didn't miss an occasional poke or nudge from one to the other. Freahelm was seated to her left and noticed her watching them with amusement. "You are enjoying the twins' antics, then?"

She grinned in response, then flashed him a puzzled look. "Twins? I thought Theodred was Arawine's uncle."

"He is, but they are only four months apart in age. The two were raised alongside one another and were virtually inseparable. Even today, whenever possible, they are always together. Somewhere along the line someone dubbed them 'the twins', and it has stuck. Uncle and nephew are their proper labels, but they have ever been brothers of the heart. Were Arawine not the heir to the throne, it would have been him accompanying Theodred on his travels rather than me."

Kata hesitated then asked gently, "Does that bother you?"

With a hearty laugh, Freahelm shook his head. "No, I have known the twins far too long to be jealous of their relationship. We are all good friends, just the same, even if they are closer. So much so, that it is not unlikely that even if Arawine could have gone with Theodred, he would still have invited me to join them."

Over the next few days, Arawine could not entirely escape being in meetings with the King, his father and the men from Dale. Kata and Theodred tried not to do anything he would miss out on during those times, sometimes just walking about Edoras and looking in windows, or letting Kata shop for a few things to take home with her.

Like many others before them, when the three were together, they tended to gravitate to Lothiriel's garden, particularly since a spell of very fine weather was upon them a bit earlier than usual. It had become something of a constant entertainment that whenever they were sitting anywhere, the two men would vie to be the one laying their head in Kata's lap. Arawine found he had the advantage, since Theodred was often scribbling away in his journal even while they talked and laughed together. Kata wasn't entirely sure whether her lap made that wonderful a pillow to be so coveted, or whether the two just liked an excuse to best one another.

This particular day found them thus. Arawine had his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sun and feel of Kata absentmindedly carding her fingers through his hair. Theodred had undertaken a drawing of the two of them in that pose. For a time, not much was said, but then Kata ventured, "The two of you do look very similar – almost twins. Well, except for the hair."

Without looking up from his drawing Theodred laughed. "Even the hair, most of the time. Mine is slowly getting darker again now that I am not in the sun so much. But Elfwine and I always did look quite a bit alike, so it is not too surprising Arawine would resemble me also."

A sleepy voice mumbled from Kata's lap, "Just my luck!"

Theodred kicked his leg in retribution, saying, "Watch your mouth, nephew! I can always change your appearance in my drawings and you would not like the representation!"

With his eyes still closed, Arawine smirked, "It is little matter, uncle. No one can recognize anyone in your drawings anyway. They will not know that it is me you have butchered!"

Sensing this was about to deteriorate into another wrestling match, Kata quickly scooted away, just in time to miss Theodred tossing aside his journal and launching himself at Arawine. The two tumbled about for several minutes, battling for supremacy, while Kata hooted with laughter. At length, however, they were all distracted by Eledher running up to them.

Seeing the boy coming, the two broke off their mock fight to sit and catch their breath, and Eledher looked disappointed at not getting to join in. With a sigh, he told them, "Papa said I should come tell you, Theodred, to come to the shop and bring Kata with you."

"He did, did he? Did he say if it was urgent?" Theodred asked leadingly.

Eledher wrinkled his brow, not expecting such a question, "Ummm, no."

"Good! Then there is time to tickle you first!" With that Theodred flung himself on the boy, pinning him quickly to the ground, and Arawine rushed to join him.

After a minute or two, Kata took pity on the poor, outmatched lad and grabbed each man by a hank of hair, giving a sharp jerk. With a yowl, they each broke off the attack as they grabbed their heads, and Eledher quickly recovered enough to jump on Theodred and attempt to tickle him. Arawine tried to join in, but Kata had maintained her hold on their hair to give the boy a fighting chance, and Eledher got in a few good licks before they all collapsed laughing.

Laying on his back, breathing heavily through his laughter, Arawine glanced at Theodred. "She is tricky, that one! We had best keep a closer eye on her!"

Kata stood eyeing the three of them, with her arms crossed. "It served you right, ganging up on a small child. Shame on you both!" Smoothing her skirt, she gave them a prim look and said, "Now do you think you can manage to stop fooling around and escort me to see Theomund – as requested?"

Rising in a swift, easy motion, Theodred grinned apologetically. "As my lady wishes!" He gave a mocking, flourishing bow and she cuffed his shoulder.

Arawine had stood as well, and innocently offered his arm. "Would my lady care for a gentleman to escort her instead?"

Pretending to sniff huffily, she took Arawine's arm with a flip of her hair. Chuckling good-humoredly, Theodred scooped up Eledher and bolted down the garden path to the lower gate, leaving the pair to follow at a slower pace.

When they reached the shop, Theomund was grinning like a cat who'd caught a bird. Leading them to his office, and pulling chairs in from his and Fele's work areas so everyone could be seated, he nudged Eledher and gleefully the boy scooped up a basket hidden under Theomund's desk. It was almost too big for the boy to hold, so Theomund caught one end and they marched it ceremoniously over to Kata. A blanket was laid over the contents so she could not see what was there, and she eyed it curiously. Beside her, her companions were fairly twitching with excitement.

Stepping into his businessman mode, Theomund formally told her, "My lady Kata, the Lord Theodred of Rohan has commissioned a work on your behalf. I can only hope my humble attempts will meet with her ladyship's approval."

Nodding to Eledher, the boy whisked the blanket off to reveal the two marionettes, calling out, "Surprise!" His admonition applied not only to Kata, who was overwhelmed at the wonderful puppets laying there, but also Theodred.

Reaching toward the basket in amazement, he picked up the two extra heads that were nestled next to the figures. "What is this?" And then as he turned the faces to examine them more closely, he broke into a wide grin. "Excellent, brother! You did Elfwine and Dariel also!"

Theomund was clearly pleased, both at Theodred's appreciation and that he had easily recognized the two figures. "They are interchangeable to the bodies, so that will give Kata four new puppets instead of two. Now she has the entire ruling house of Rohan."

Pointedly, Arawine cleared his throat, commenting, "And what am I? Mother and Father always _claimed_ I was related and next in line..."

Theomund shrugged, telling him, "When you get married, I will consider doing you. They come in pairs and _you_ are a solo."

"These are wonderful!" Kata enthused, interrupting the friendly teasing. "Thank you so very much!"

"Now you must put on a show for us. We do so long for a good puppet show at Meduseld, and if we restrain Theodred so he cannot help you, we may finally get one!" Arawine smirked.

Knowing full well what was coming, Kata dropped the puppets quickly in the basket, snatched the two heads away from Theodred and bolted with the lot behind the shelter of Theomund's desk. Apparently she was not the only one to recognize the danger, for Theomund scooped Eledher up under one arm and followed her lead. "You obviously learn quickly," Theomund commented to the girl as they watched the mock battle raging on the floor of his office.

"I have been here less than a week and this is at least the sixth time they have done this. Already I recognize the earliest signs!"

They watched the two grappling for several moments until Theomund observed, "I do believe it is dinnertime. Shall I help you carry the puppets up to Meduseld?"

Kata shrugged agreeably, they each seized a basket handle and the three of them carefully edged around the two scrappers and strode out the door, leaving them to follow eventually.

Several minutes later, when the two finally called a truce, they looked around in surprise. "They left us!" Theodred exclaimed indignantly.

Snickering derisively, Arawine replied, "And this astonishes you? Come on. Likely they have gone to eat and I am starved." He rose and pulled his uncle to his feet beside him, then they exited the shop with an arm around each other.

For the remainder of the day, Theodred and Arawine managed to refrain from any further tussles, and instead turned their attention to creating a stage for Kata to use that evening. Once more Eomer and Lothiriel's extended family was invited to come to supper and enjoy the show, though Kata felt a bit self-conscious with such a large audience. Despite Arawine's remark, Theodred was allowed to assist her and she was pleased that he had clearly been practicing since he left Dale, and was much improved.

By the following day, Theodred had produced a short script for a play, and they had invited the people of Edoras to bring their children to a show. So many wished to attend, that they had to do several shows, particularly since the parents were just as eager as the children, and even unmarried men, women, boys and girls snuck in around the perimeter for a peek at this novelty.

Not wanting to feel left out of things, Arawine busied himself behind the scenes helping with the puppets and getting them ready for their next appearance. The trio soon got sufficiently in sync with each other's movements that they deftly weaved and twined around one another without getting entangled.

For the duration of their visit, Kata willingly put on shows, and Theodred enjoyed the challenge of writing new scripts for them to keep it more interesting. It was clear that all were going to miss Kata and her talent when she left.

At length, the time came for the Dale contingent to depart. Eomer and Lothiriel had decided to take the opporunity to travel with them, and make a visit to this distant land neither had ever seen before. Arawine was scheduled to set out with a party across the Eastemnet and Wold, plotting a roadway based on the notes Theodred had provided. He would meet up with his grandparents in Dale and then return home with them.

Concurrently with those two exoduses, Theodred and Freahelm were preparing to set out once more on their own travels. Kata had secured a promise that they would return to her country for another visit. Their current plans called for them to head northwest toward the Shire and visit with Merry and Pippin while staying at Annuminas, then swing through Bree and on to Rivendell. From there they could take the High Pass over the Misty Mountains to visit Dale once again.

And so the various groups made their preparations and departed all on the same day. Meduseld would seem very quiet indeed, with so many of her own away for the next few months.

**TBC**

5-27-06

Eledher is now 6; Haldred – "healing wisdom"


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**_

**Chapter 7 (begins late April, 44 IV)**

The two men leaned back in their saddles, one hand on their horses' rumps in an attempt to see the top of Orthanc, but it was a cloudy day, and the pinnacle was obscured from their view. At length, Freahelm straightened and shook his head, commenting, "You know, I have the utmost respect for Gondorians…"

He paused and Theodred's eyes narrowed, wondering where this conversation might be headed. "Yes?" he prompted.

"But the man who built this must have been utterly mad! Who in their right mind could think such a building was worth constructing? It is imposing, to be sure, but…useless. The view from the top might be magnificent, but things on the ground must appear the size of ants from up there. And, for that matter, who would want to make that climb on a regular basis? Perhaps if a man had wings he would attempt it, but I doubt I would often go more than five floors up! Useless, I tell you! Utterly useless!"

Theodred grinned at the diatribe. It was not the first time he had heard such an opinion expressed of this place. His father had long held that view, and indicated he was happy to let Gondor retain possession of the place as he could see no practical value to it. Indeed, as Saruman's stronghold, it had been a festering sore in Rohan's side for far too long, and Theodred suspected Eomer would not have been sorry to see it completely destroyed when Treebeard and the Ents took control of Isengard. Now it was little more than an interesting landmark for any who cared to venture this far off the beaten path.

In all his years living in Rohan, Theodred had never taken the opportunity to make the journey to see the place. He had decided now was the appropriate time, and he thought it worthwhile to glimpse it at least once, since it had played such an important role in Rohan's history. Tonight he would have much to write in his journal.

Treebeard had long since returned to Fangorn Forest, and Theodred regretted not having had the opportunity to meet him. The Hobbits had spoken much of him on their last visit, when he was a child, and he had always hoped to have that chance himself. There was something magical in the notion of an actual treeherder, who appeared to be a tree himself almost.

"Well, shall we go inside and have a look around?" Freahelm's voice broke through his reverie. Eagerly Theodred nodded and they rode closer.

The lake surrounding Orthanc had receded somewhat over the years, but the water still almost reached their stirrups, so they drew as close to the entrance as they could. Had the doorway been larger, they would have ridden inside to dismount, but there was not enough room for their horses, so they slipped into the water and waded in.

Theodred knew that while Treebeard had been in residence at Isengard, few had dared visit, being almost as afraid of an Ent as they were of Saruman. Once the treeherder had taken his leave, the place fell victim to looters who were eager to pilfer anything they could use or sell.

Most of the rooms now stood empty but for a few scraps of destroyed furniture. The two winced inwardly at the sight of iron rings affixed to the floor or walls of various rooms, clear evidence that they had once housed prisoners of some sort. They preferred not to dwell long on that subject.

It took some doing, but Theodred was able to persuade Freahelm to climb all the way to the top, so they could at least get the full experience, and say they had done so. A few drifting breaks in the cloud cover gave them glimpses around them. As Freahelm predicted, their horses were almost indiscernible pinpricks on the ground from that great height. Though not usually affected by extreme heights, both of them were unnerved here, and they did not linger. Still, the views they got of the surrounding country were incomparable. Skeletons of destroyed machinery still lay hidden under the lake, and Theodred studied the sight with a practiced eye, committing it to memory so he could later transfer the image to his journal pages.

At length, they had seen enough, and decided to be on their way before the afternoon was too far gone. They hoped to reach the Fords of Isen before nightfall and make camp there.

xx

After they had set up their campsite and Freahelm began cooking the supper, Theodred took his journal and headed for the ford. Settling himself on a nearby rock, he stared at the burial cairn. Several years after the War, Eomer had come and made a sturdier marker at the site where his cousin Theodred had fallen. The piled rocks made a simple structure, but it secured in place the circle of spears with Theodred's helm mounted on the central one.

All his life, his parents had told him of his cousin, the one for whom he was named. Often his father got choked up when speaking of a man he had loved like a brother, and never a year went by that Eomer didn't make a pilgrimage to this site to honor him. While his mother had never known Theodred personally, she always accompanied her husband, strengthening him through the emotional experience by her very presence. When Theodred had been old enough to understand, they had begun bringing him with them. It had always seemed sad to him that his cousin's deeds had been overshadowed and lost in the tales of valor during the Ring War. Though Theodred had not survived to fight on the Pelennor or march on the Black Gate, his contribution had been no less important to Rohan's freedom. In many ways, Theodred believed his father had fought all the more tenaciously against Mordor so as to avenge his cousin's death. Sitting there now, as the sun dropped slowly out of sight, he vowed that cousin Theodred would not be forgotten in the annals of Rohan or Gondor. He would make certain of that, some how, some way.

A warm hand settled on his shoulder, drawing him from his reverie. "Come eat. Tonight we will toast the victorious dead and you will tell me tales of Theodred, son of Theoden."

Supper was taken in silence for the most part, as Theodred was lost in his thoughts. Finally, he glanced up at his patient companion and observed, "I had rather thought that I would be most affected by the things I would see outside of Rohan during our travels. Instead I find that Orthanc and these Fords have moved me far more than any other sight. This is _our_ history, _our_ past, _our_ heritage. Dale's battle with Easterlings and Ithilien's efforts against the Haradrim happened to someone else, somewhere else. This happened to us, and it shaped our land and our people...and our parents. So, in the end, it shaped us."

Freahelm cast a thoughtful gaze upon him, then nodded. "True. Even I, who am not so taken with history as you, have been touched by these places today." Then, attempting to lighten the mood a bit, he grinned and added, "You are the storyteller. It is up to you to bring these things to the attention of others. Share your insights with all."

Theodred chuckled in response, but part of his mind filed away the notion for further study. Perhaps there was a way to help others see what he had seen.

xx

They got a late start the next day. Freahelm, knowing Theodred had stayed up late getting all his thoughts and drawings down on paper, did not attempt to waken his companion early. Instead, he headed off to a deeper portion of the Isen and caught some fish for their breakfast while Theodred slept in. By the time he returned to camp, Theodred was up, dressed and gone. He set about preparing their meal, knowing his friend was likely making one last visit to the burial cairn of his cousin.

The next stretch of their journey was fairly easy. The North South Road that ran to the river crossing at Tharbad had been renovated and was much more heavily used since the War. Still, traveling so close to Dunland, the two men kept on their guard and did not entirely rest easy until they were across the river. All things considered, they preferred not to run afoul of any Dunlendings that might recognize them as being from Rohan. Theodred's hair was still far lighter than normal and their coloring alone would have marked them as Rohirrim.

They made a stop at the Sarn Ford and sent word on to Merry and Pippin that they were in the neighborhood and on the way to Bree. The Hobbits had written that they would meet them in Bree, and then travel on to Annuminas with the pair to visit there. Theodred still regretted that Men were not allowed in the Shire. He very much wished to see the place, but he knew the Halflings were ready tale-spinners and he would have to be satisfied with what they shared in lieu of seeing it with his own eyes. He had purposely brought extra journals along, and intended to fill them with every detail he could glean. More and more he found he was enjoying collecting the history of Middle Earth as told by the residents. Not just the stories of War and valor, but the everyday tales of life in the Shire, or working as a fisherman in Dol Amroth or spending one's life making marionettes in Dale.

By the time they reached Bree, it was nearly sundown and the guard was just preparing to close the gate for the night. He directed them to a place they could stable their horses, and suggested the Prancing Pony inn to stay for the night. Remembering Merry and Pippin's previous stories of their visit here, Theodred was looking forward to getting a glimpse of this inn where the Fellowship had unwittingly begun to form.

Word had gotten to the Hobbits quickly and by the next day, the two Halflings rode into town to greet their friends. Securing a table in the corner, they spent the afternoon laughing and talking. Theodred was careful to ply the Hobbits with food lest all they down was ale and succumb too early.

As it was nearing closing time, Theodred rose and told his companions, "I will just go check on our horses one last time. I shall see you in the morning, gentlemen."

Theodred had never been much of a drinker, so he had consumed far less than the others, but still he was a bit unsteady as he made his way down the street. Even this late at night, the streets were fairly bustling. In Edoras, by now everyone would be in their beds.

Unnoticed by Theodred, another man of Rohan was making use of the Prancing Pony. During the course of the evening, he had become aware of the two blond men with the Hobbits, and curiously had inquired as to their identity. The barkeep had readily gossiped that they were Freahelm and Theodred of Edoras, and that rumor had it the younger man was the son of the king.

Orgel's eyes burned at this information. _Well, well – the king's son. And brother to the man who had stolen his wife and son._ The more he drank, the more it rankled Orgel to sit there in the same room with the man. When he parted from his companions and left the inn alone, Orgel saw his chance. At last he could even the score with Theomund of Rohan. He had stolen Orgel's wife and son; Orgel would steal his brother's life.

Likely Orgel had consumed more ale than was best when a murder was being planned, but he steadied himself and pressed on. Another opportunity for revenge probably would not come soon. And he had the element of surprise. Drawing his dagger to have it at the ready, he stayed to the shadows. People in Bree mostly had enough sense to mind their own business, so if his actions looked suspicious, they would just turn the other way if it did not appear to affect them personally.

Theodred had entered the stable, fetched more water and then left the horses to their hayracks for the night. Closing the door and fastening it, he did not see the man move swiftly from the shadows until he was slammed into the solid wood of the barn. Dazed for a moment, he struggled to respond defensively, but the ale was working against him. Fortunately, his assailant seemed to be similarly handicapped and his swipe with a knife only grazed Theodred's left arm before he lurched out of reach. Rounding more quickly than Theodred expected, the man carefully circled him taking tentative swipes with the knife, looking for an opening.

Then fortune seemed to smile on Orgel for the first time in a long while. A cat bolted from around the stable, and shot directly under Theodred's feet. Frantically he tried to maintain his balance, but unable to do so, he crashed painfully into the dirt, the breath being knocked out of him. With a grin of pure hatred, Orgel hissed, "I am sure it will grieve your brother to know you died a painful death. He took my son; it is only fair I take his brother in recompense!"

He raised his knife to plunge it into Theodred's chest, but was suddenly sent flying as a small figure crashed into him broadside. As Pippin wrestled with the man, he flailed about with the knife, both trying to stab the Hobbit and keep him from taking the knife. And then, before anyone knew what was happening, Orgel suddenly went deathly still. For an instant, Pippin hesitated, poised to defend himself and Theodred further if necessary, but Orgel remained unmoving.

Merry and Freahelm stumbled to a stop nearby, and then carefully approached. Rolling the man over, they saw the reason for his stillness – he had managed to fall upon his own knife, cutting an artery that quickly bled out. Pippin scooted hastily away from the dead man, looking a bit sick to his stomach. Leaving him where he lay, Freahelm turned and examined Theodred, asking, "You hurt?"

Shakily, Theodred sat up, clutching his arm where the blade had swiped him. He nodded, and reassured, "He nicked me, but you got here just in time."

"You can thank Pippin for that," Freahelm explained. "He saw Orgel glaring at you and then follow you out. When he asked the barkeep who the man was and found out it was Orgel, he remembered your father telling him about the situation with Orgel and Fele, and suspected he was up to no good. Pippin lit out after you and we followed, not sure what he was doing until we got here and saw the fight."

A small crowd was gathering to find out what was happening, and Merry took charge in finding someone to deal with the body. The constable put in appearance, but when several witnesses admitted seeing Theodred under attack and without a weapon, his story of self-defense was believed and they were not detained.

Their nerves a bit rattled, they returned to the inn and the barkeep granted them one final drink even though he had just closed the bar for the night.

The attack had put a bit of a damper on their visit, and the small party departed the next day for Annuminas. They made a brief stop in Fornost, so Theodred could see the city which had been the seat of the North-kingdom for over a thousand years. The Witch-king had captured the city, but after it was regained by Men, it fell into decline and was largely deserted until King Elessar reunited the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. Now, it was once more a thriving town, particularly with the rebuilding of the King's northern palace at Annuminas. With great reluctance, Theodred let his companions drag him away and they made the final leg of their journey, glad to be safe within the palace of Gondor for awhile.

Neither the Hobbits nor Freahelm fully appreciated Annuminas any more than they had Fornost. Though Theodred tried regaling them with the history of the place, that it had been the seat of Elendil as the High King of Gondor and Arnor, while his sons had jointly ruled Gondor in the south, they did not seem much interested. He could not fathom their disinterest, even though much of what he was trying to share with them happened nearly three thousand years earlier. All of them had met King Elessar, descendant of the men who had made this their capital, then moved it to Fornost. Now, in their lifetimes, they had seen the two kingdoms brought together again, and these former places of prestige and importance restored. Still, it was clear he was the only one wandering about with a sense of awe, at least regarding the history.

As in Minas Tirith and Dol Amroth, the bathing facilities of the palace were a wonder. It became something of an amusement to the servants of Annuminas at how difficult it was to get their guests out of the bath. Had they not wished to visit, eat and drink, the four might have spent nearly the entirety of their visit soaking in heated waters.

After a couple of days, though, Theodred was eager to walk about the town and even make riding excursions around Lake Evendim and the surrounding hills. It took a bit of persuasion on his part to convince his companions to leave this luxury and make a side trip over to the Grey Havens. Though the Elves were long gone from these shores, for the most part, he still desired to see their last point of departure.

It was somewhat bittersweet for the Hobbits to return there, but they could not fault Frodo for his choice. Likely he had never told them all he had suffered on the quest to destroy the Ring, and they hoped he was now at peace. Over the years, the seaport had fallen into decline, but it was still a remarkable place to behold and Theodred made several sketches before they finally headed back.

The Hobbits said their farewells along the way, and swung off to return home via Michel Delving, so they could visit Samwise Gamgee who was Mayor there. The two Men continued back to Annuminas in preparation for resuming their journey. As luck would have it, the northern palace was preparing to send one of its infrequent messengers to King Elessar, reporting on things there, and the pair were able to write letters home to be dropped off in Edoras. Theodred had pondered for some time whether to tell Theomund and Fele about Orgel's death. At length, he decided it was best they know that shadow no longer hung over them. He wrote about the episode to Theomund and left it to him how much he shared with his wife.

xx

There was a second stop in Bree as they made their way to Imladris, but it was just overnight and far more pleasant than their previous visit as this one was without mishap. From there, they picked up the Great East Road and skirted around the Midgewater swamp. They were grateful to be on horseback, and to quickly bypass the place after having listened to the Hobbits' story of their own encounter with it. They stayed the night in the dell on the west side of the Weathertop hill, to allow Theodred to indulge his interest, and he spent the evening regaling his friend with all the history he could remember of the site. It took some doing, but he was even able to convince Freahelm to hike to the summit with him to examine the ruins. At least the tale of the Hobbits' unfortunate visit there held Freahelm's attention, and made the excursion more worthwhile in his eyes.

It took several more days before they reached the Last Bridge over the River Mitheithel, and a few beyond that to make the Ford of Bruinen. There had been no way to send a message on ahead to Elladan and Elrohir of their pending visit, so they hoped they would not be unwelcome. King Elessar had assured them his brothers would greet them warmly, and they carried letters from both he and Queen Arwen for the two Elves.

Despite Elessar's detailed map, much was overgrown since the king's last visit and it took quite awhile for them to finally locate the Last Homely House. For a time, they sat at a slight distance and just took in the view. The place blended so well into its surroundings that it was difficult to tell where nature ended and constructions began.

As they sat there, a quiet voice suddenly came to them, and it took a moment for them to locate the source. "What brings Men to this place?"

A most stately looking Elf stood nearby, almost hidden among the foliage. Though age was difficult to determine in Elves, Theodred hazarded a guess that this was not one of the king's brothers, but rather Celeborn, formerly of Lorien. Politely he answered, "I am Theodred of Rohan and this is Freahelm, also of that place. We are friends of King Elessar and acquainted with Queen Arwen. The king believed we would be welcome to visit his former home, and he asked that we bring missives to his brothers from both he and Queen Arwen."

The tiniest of smiles twitched at Celeborn's mouth at this monologue, but he merely responded, "I am Celeborn. How is my granddaughter and her husband?"

"They were well, last time we saw them, nearly six months past now," Theodred answered. "It is an honor to meet you, my lord."

"Come," Celeborn replied, not inclined to pursue idle conversation, "I will take you to meet Elladan and Elrohir." He turned abruptly and struck off down the path they were facing. Freahelm quirked an amused eyebrow at Theodred, and then nudged his horse forward to follow.

In the times they had met Legolas, and been in the company of Queen Arwen, they had developed a much different sense about Elves in general. While both of those persons were beautiful and stately in their own right, each had displayed a merry attitude and they seemed quite fun-loving. The two Men were not quite sure what to make of this different Elf that led them, or what to expect of the twin brothers they were to meet momentarily.

They need not have been concerned. Apparently Celeborn was something of a unique character, for they found Elladan and Elrohir to be both pleasant and hospitable. In fact, the twins could even be termed mischievous, for they proved fond of telling embarrassing stories about their sister and brother, as well as regaling their guests with tales of their pranks. Celeborn sat listening with a mildly disapproving look on his face, but made no effort to interfere in the conversation.

Not until Theodred began plying him with questions about history did he appreciably warm up to them to any extent, and by the time they left a fortnight later, he almost seemed fond of the Men and sorry to see them go.

The twins rode with them to guide them to the entrance to the High Pass, then said their farewells and left them to deliver messages back to Elessar and Arwen on their behalf.

The experience they had picked up in their many months of travel served them well in their journey. It had already begun to get cold in the mountains, both a relief from the heat of the summer and a challenge to deal with at night. Luckily, there was still plenty of forage available for their horses in a few hidden vales tucked along their way, and they rationed out the small amount of oats they carried with them to supplement their feed.

By the time they had reached the River Running, both were glad they would soon be settled in one place for a time. And Theodred was looking forward to seeing Kata again after so long. He realized now that he had missed her company after so much time spent together in Edoras.

The travelers settled into their beds at the inn prior to their journey up the river to Dale, satisfied with the course of their past few months' trek.

**TBC**

**5-29-06**

_**A/N: If my calculations are correct for distance covered and time it should have taken (approximate), Theodred and Freahelm left Edoras in late April (about the 24th) and reached Dale just before the end of Sept. (also about the 24th).**_

_**My apologies for not doing more in the way of dialogue with the Hobbits or the Elves, but I'm not sure I would do justice to them and I'd rather work around it than do it poorly. For some reason, I'm not totally comfortable writing the Hobbits or Elves, and even Gimli gives me trouble though I do find him easier.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note at bottom.**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 8 (begins late Sept, 44 IV)**

"I believe they are in the gazebo, my lord," the servant informed him. Had Theodred not been such a familiar sight around the palace of Dale, likely she would have made more effort to guide him, but it was clear she assumed he knew the way.

Turning instantly to his left after a nod of thanks, Theodred hurried off. She was correct – he well knew his way there, having spent so much of his time in that place on his previous visit.

Humming slightly, his grin broadened in anticipation of seeing them both again after so long a separation. As he stepped outside the palace, he broke off his humming, preferring to hear the birdsong that was so prevalent here. There was a path that wound its way to the gazebo, but he knew that if he circled around behind a tall hedge it would get him there slightly faster, and have the element of surprise for his friends.

However, the sight that met his eyes when at last he broke cover was one he had never imagined. Arawine and Kata were wrapped in one another's arms, kissing in a most passionate manner. From the look of it, this was not their first kiss. For several moments, he could not breathe, and then the anger slowly began to consume him. Just at that instant, Arawine drew back slightly from the kiss, looking tenderly down at Kata as he snugged her closer. A slight movement caught his eye, and he looked up – right into Theodred's eyes, full of hurt and betrayal. Arawine involuntarily stiffened with shock, and Kata eyed him in puzzlement, then turned to discover what held his interest behind her. Upon seeing Theodred, she gave a choking gasp, covering her mouth with her hands.

And then he was gone. It was all Theodred could do not to break into a run, but he forced himself to remain at a walk, albeit a stiff-legged, charging walk. He crashed through the stable door, causing several stable hands to jump and Freahelm looked up from where he was just putting water in the stall for his horse. There was no mistaking the black look of fury on Theodred's face as he stormed down the length of the shedrow, and snatched open the stall door to his mount.

Pulling the annoyed animal away from the hayrack, he fastened him to the wall and retrieved the saddle, quickly beginning to tack up. "Theodred, what is wrong? What has happened?" Freahelm asked with some alarm.

"We are leaving," Theodred hissed, offering no further explanation.

"Why? What has happened?" Freahelm pressed.

"Are you coming with me or not? I am leaving, with or without you." Theodred stubbornly refused to reveal more.

Nodding slowly, Freahelm assured him quietly, "I am coming with you. As always, my friend."

He set to work saddling his own horse, his mind racing with questions. But he knew Theodred too well to think there would be answers immediately. Somewhere down the road he would eventually find out the reason for their abrupt departure.

Just as they were leading their horses from the barn, Arawine hurried into view. In all the years he had known the two, Freahelm had never seen them at odds with one another. Indeed, it had always been almost eerie how well the two got along. All that was clearly in the past. There was no denying the sparks between them.

"Theodred, we must talk!" Arawine said, moving in close and catching his uncle's arm.

Theodred violently whirled, snatching his arm up and away. As a result, he shoved Arawine backward and, since he was already off balance, the force of the motion knocked him to the ground. "There is nothing I wish to say to you, _nephew_! I can think of men I might have expected to betray me, but you were never on the list!"

He turned and stepped up into the saddle as Arawine scrambled to his feet. "It is not what you think!" he pleaded.

Theodred glowered down at him, "Not what I think? You believe I cannot tell the difference between a friendly peck on the cheek and a man kissing a woman as a lover would? You think I do not understand the implication of my dearest friend passionately kissing a woman he knows has promised herself to me, and what it means that she was gladly receiving said kiss? I am not the fool you take me for, Arawine!" With that he dug his heels into his horse's side, and the animal spurted forward.

Arawine met Freahelm's eyes pleadingly. With a slight, disbelieving shake of his head, Freahelm urged his horse after his friend. This did not look good, and he couldn't help thinking it was a mistake to leave before they had talked more, and rationally discussed this matter, but that clearly was not going to happen. For now, all he could do was be there when Theodred was ready to vent his feelings. Still, he could not see how this breach in the relationship could ever be mended.

xx

They traveled for two days with Theodred seething in silence. After the altercation outside the stables, at least Freahelm had some clue as to the nature of the problem, but since Theodred was clearly not inclined to discuss the matter, he didn't press him on it, thinking it best to let his anger subside a bit first.

At least by the third day Theodred had begun speaking to him again, but he kept the conversation carefully neutral and they might have been little more than strangers passing the time of day. Still, Freahelm continued to follow his friend's lead for the time being. So they made their way in uncomfortable companionship through the forest and down the Anduin to the Limlight. Once they were back on their horses and alone, finally Freahelm broached the subject.

"Theodred, talk to me. Tell me what has happened and let us discuss it. It cannot be good for you to keep your anger bottled up inside you."

The younger man stiffened beside him, and a glance from the corner of his eye revealed the distress on Theodred's face. But at length he spat out, "They betrayed me! I went to find them and discovered them wrapped in one another's arms – kissing! I trusted them – both of them. How could they do this to me?"

Knowing it was risky, Freahelm ventured, "Perhaps if we had let Arawine explain..."

"Explain! What could he possibly say that would be acceptable? What could excuse this?" Angrily Theodred kicked his horse to a gallop, and with a sigh Freahelm nudged his horse to follow. Clearly emotions were still too raw to discuss this rationally yet. Perhaps it would have to await their return to Edoras. Queen Lothiriel might be the only one Theodred would listen to in a calm manner.

They found that Arawine had been busy in other ways also. A rough road was laid out, with markers at intervals that could be seen from the previous one. A good day's ride apart, lean-to shelters were set up for making camp, and had been located near supplies of water and fuel. The first such shelter they had come upon, Theodred had ignored and ridden on, insisting on camping in an open area between the lean-to camps. It took some doing, but Freahelm finally prevailed upon him the next day, and persuaded him it was stupid to refuse to use them simply because Arawine had been the one to provide them.

Same as the previous time they had made this journey, it was a tiring trip, but made even more wearisome this time by the tension of the circumstances. Not entirely certain that Theodred would relate all that had happened to the king and queen in an unbiased manner, Freahelm made a point of seeking them out almost immediately upon arrival, and making them aware of what little he knew of the situation so they would be prepared.

Four days after their return, Theodred still was sulking around Meduseld, but had made no attempt to explain himself. Everyone was walking on eggshells around him, not understanding why he was in such a foul mood and unwilling to tell them about his travels this time. When Arawine and his escort put in appearance the following day, and the two very pointedly avoided each other, the family definitely knew that something major was amiss.

They were not children, and could not be ordered to resolve their differences, so no one was quite sure how to proceed. At last, Lothiriel recognized that likely it fell to her to intervene if peace was to be restored in their home. Very possibly she was the only one who could get away with prying into the matter and offering an opinion, and who Theodred might listen to despite his evident hostility.

Though November was nearly upon them, and the weather had been cold and rainy, one final throe of sunshine favored them for a few days, and Lothiriel seized the opportunity to take her youngest into her garden for a talk.

"Dearest, this cannot continue. I do not like seeing you in such distress, and angry all the time. Please, talk to me about this. Freahelm has told me what little he knows, but I need for you to discuss it," she encouraged.

For several minutes, he was silent, wringing his hands in agitation and for a time she thought perhaps he was not going to comply with her entreaty.

"They betrayed me!" Theodred suddenly spat angrily. "I blame Arawine – Kata would never do something like this! How could he do this to me? He knew that I–"

"Knew that you had left Kata with empty promises?" Lothiriel asked quietly. "Told her, 'if no one better comes along, I may consider marrying you'?"

Theodred stared at his mother in astonishment, declaring, "That is not what I said!"

"Perhaps not those precise words, but the meaning was essentially the same. You would not firmly commit to her, nor would you walk away and release her, and you expected her to wait around indefinitely to see if you ever chose to make good on any of the possibilities. She was young and fancied herself in love, so she agreed to your terms, trusting that one day you would indeed love and marry her."

Theodred continued staring at Lothiriel, stricken beyond belief that she would accuse him of such behavior. After several minutes, she added, "Tell me truthfully, dearest – are you brokenhearted, or have you simply had your pride bruised?"

As Lothiriel watched, Theodred finally fully considered her words, and he sunk in upon himself as he buried his face in his hands. Her arm slid around him, pulling him close as her hand pressed his head to her shoulder and stroked his hair.

"I watched them together when your father and I were in Dale, and I suspected they were beginning to fall in love. And, truthfully, I saw them looking at one another in a way that I never saw you look at Kata. You like her, you care for her, but I do not believe that you love her, dearest. What she felt for you was infatuation – the blush of first love, but I believe that now, with Arawine, she may truly have found enduring love. You and she would never have had that. You might have found contentment together, but it would never have been so deep or satisfying as what they will share. And I would hope that you also might find a woman to love that deeply some day."

"What have I done?" he choked miserably.

"You have been blind and unfair to those who love you. You owe both of them an apology, and you need to give them your blessing. Go and make peace with your friends."

"My friends? Do you still think I may count them such?" he asked despairingly.

"Arawine has loved you as though you were a part of himself for his entire life. I am certain he does not wish there to be enmity between you. Kata and you are good friends, and you can be still if you put aside your selfishness and wish her joy."

xxxxx

Despite their conversation, it was several days before there was any interaction between Theodred and Arawine. His talk with his mother had eased Theodred's anger, but still he had many emotions he was trying to deal with and he could not quite shake a slight feeling of betrayal in spite of everything. Were that not enough, he also had the guilt over the breach in his relationship with Arawine. Even if he could reconcile himself to the situation between Arawine and Kata, how could he ever repair the damage he had done to their relationship? Would he ever be able to reclaim his 'twin'?

One day, just after Theodred had returned from his morning ride and was grooming his horse, he heard a voice behind him.

"Theo..." Arawine said softly, reverting to their childhood shortening of names, "we must talk. Please?"

Theodred kept his gaze fixed on the brush in his hands, not trusting his voice just yet. The quiet of the stables made it evident that the stablehands had moved away from them, whether to afford them privacy or to avoid being caught in the midst of an argument he did not know.

Though it was neither agreement nor invitation, at least Theodred was still here so Arawine persisted, "I would never wish to hurt you in any way, and it was not my desire to do so now. I had not meant for this to happen, but you spoke so warmly of Kata that I was pleasantly disposed toward her before we even met. Once we had come face to face, my feelings would not be repressed. At first, I convinced myself that it was merely friendship that I felt for her, but when we got to Dale and were together so much there...I came to know how much I loved her. Still, it was awhile before she began to return my feelings."

He paused, trying to think how to explain the situation without causing further pain to the person dearest to him. Theodred had finished brushing the stallion, and taken a seat on a bench to wipe down his tack. With a heavy sigh, Arawine continued, "Eventually Kata began to realize that what she felt for me was different and deeper than what she thought she felt for you. She cares for you a great deal, but it was not true love. When she told me of the agreement the two of you made, we convinced ourselves that you did not truly love her either, and would understand if she found happiness with someone else...even me."

His voice had become progressively quieter during his recitation, and not once had Theodred acknowledged him. With another sigh, Arawine rose from the bench where he had seated himself next to his uncle. For an instant, his hand hovered in the air between them as though he would grasp Theodred's shoulder, but at length he let it fall to his side and turned away.

"Arawine," Theodred said hoarsely, standing, but not meeting his eyes.

Never in their entire lives had the two been so ill at ease with one another, but this was not a matter that could be simply resolved. For several minutes they stood in silence, shifting awkwardly and not looking at each other. Clearing his throat, Theodred finally forced out, "Give me time."

Now Theodred's eyes did lift, just as Arawine's did, and there was no missing the raw pain there. Arawine's breath hitched at the sight, but he choked back a sob and nodded. "Thank you," he murmured.

xxxxx

November wasn't the best time for traveling, but Freahelm had agreed to accompany him once more. Apologetically, Theodred told his parents at supper that he would be going to Minas Tirith and wintering there, feeling the need of some time alone, away from the situation, to think.

Tears pricked at Arawine's eyes at the announcement, but he kept silent. He could not help feeling he was driving his uncle away, but he did not see what more he could do to rectify the matter. Perhaps it truly would simply take time.

**TBC**

**6-4-06**

_**A/N: Yeah, I know this took a bit different twist than it originally seemed to be going, but this seemed more true to life and this storyline/characters seemed the right place for it. Not to worry, we'll find a girl for Theodred eventually!**_

_**Sorry it's so short, but I thought this was the best place to end this chapter.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N: Okay, it isn't that I haven't been working on writing this story, it's that I haven't been working on writing this _chapter_ of the story! If you've read my previous multi-chapter stories, you may recall my mentioning that I only post completed stories, primarily because I don't tend to write in a linear fashion - I jump all over the place and then piece it all together - sort of like a jigsaw puzzle. I've kind of been doing that here, so much of what I've been writing comes...later. Anyway, I finally got enough written in the here and now to comprise chapter 9 so that I could post, so here you go. Hopefully all that jumping ahead will mean I can get ch. 10 worked up fairly quickly. There's still some puzzle pieces missing but I'm slowly filling in the gaps. If you never read "Goodwill", you might want to read that before reading this (or afterwards). This chapter refers to events from it._**

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 9 (Nov, 44 IV)**

"Are you sure about this? You do not sound well," Freahelm observed.

"I will be fine. I can make it to Minas Tirith. It is just a cough. Do not be such a mother hen!" Theodred teased.

Theodred had begun coughing shortly after they departed Edoras. When they stopped for their noon meal in Aldburg, the hot food and warmth of the inn seemed to help, but now that they were back out in the cold weather once more, the coughing had resumed and, to Freahelm's ears, had grown worse. He had tried convincing Theodred to turn back to Aldburg and seek a healer's attention there, but his friend insisted it was not necessary.

Two hours later, Freahelm regretted giving in. It was clear that Theodred was ill, and now it was unlikely he would be up to the ride back to Aldburg. The best they could hope for was to find shelter for the night and perhaps rest would set him right. This particular area was lightly settled, but there was a farm not too far ahead and Freahelm steered toward it, casting worried glances at his companion.

As they rode into the yard of the cottage, a woman appeared on the porch, eyeing them warily. He could readily understand her suspicion, given that it was getting dark and her home was somewhat isolated. Politely he inquired, "Is your husband here, good mistress? I am hoping he will allow us to sleep in the barn this night. My friend is taken ill and I would like to get him warm and fed as soon as possible."

Her eyes shifted to Theodred who sat hunched over in the saddle, flushed and coughing. There was no denying that part of the story was true. Her features softened slightly, "Of course. I was just making some soup. I will bring you some when it is ready. He might find that easiest to get down."

"Thank you. You are most kind. Come, Theodred. You can rest soon."

He started to turn his horse when the woman called questioningly, "Theodred, did you say? Does not the king have a son named Theodred?"

"Yes, mistress. This is he. We are traveling to Minas Tirith."

A strange expression flitted across her face, and then she told Freahelm, "Bring him in the house. You may spread your bedrolls in front of the fire."

Freahelm blinked in surprise at this generous, and unanticipated, offer, but decided not to question it just now. Instead, he stepped down from his horse and reached up to help Theodred dismount. Pulling off the bedrolls, they followed her inside and he got Theodred settled where she indicated. Leaving his friend there, he went to tend the horses.

When he returned, the woman was just ladling some soup into a bowl for Theodred. He moved over and helped his friend to sit up sufficiently for her to spoon it into him. After several moments of silence, Freahelm ventured, "I thank you for your hospitality. It is far more than I expected."

The soup was finished and he was laying Theodred back down. The woman told him, "He is quite ill. Get me some willow bark to ease his fever. There are some trees near the barn."

Freahelm nodded and moved quickly outside before the light was completely gone. When he returned, she was heating water, and began to dry the bark in preparation for steeping it into a tea. As he watched her work, she commented, "I doubt he will be well enough to travel for a few days. Will you send word to his parents he is taken ill?"

"Yes, probably so. Why?"

"When you do, tell them...tell her majesty that Fetige is returning the favor. I will see that her son is well cared for, and nursed back to health, as she once cared for my parents."

Freahelm quirked a curious eyebrow at this statement. "Indeed? I should like to hear that story."

With a soft smile, she told him, "Tomorrow, perhaps. Help yourself to something to eat. Let me tend him, and then I have to look after my grandchildren."

For the first time Freahelm became aware of two small children huddled across the room, staring wide-eyed at him. He smiled at them in a friendly way, but they just continued to silently stare in fascination at this stranger.

Freahelm felt more at ease with Fetige watching over Theodred. He made himself useful chopping firewood and hauling water. Eventually, the two children, Cafrinan and Horethnis, had warmed up to him, and then would not leave him alone. Fortunately, he was fond of children and did not mind the attention; plus it freed Fetige to focus on Theodred's needs.

Once the children had been settled in bed, she explained that her son-in-law had gone to Aldburg for supplies and should return the next day. These were his children. She was living with him, and raising the children since the death of their mother at the birth of the youngest.

By the next day, the willow bark had helped and Theodred was improved, to Freahelm's relief. His friend could be stubborn, and he had feared Theodred might have insisted pressing on in spite of the illness. Using Fetige's cryptic remark from the day before as a distraction, Freahelm made it a point to inquire about her previous contact with the king and queen when Theodred would overhear. As expected, Theodred readily became focused on the tale and wanted to know all the details, scribbling everything down in his journal as she related it to them.

When she left them to go bake some bread, Theodred leaned pensively back against the wall. At length, he glanced at Freahelm and commented, "I wonder how many other stories there are out there similar to that. Stories about my parents that are only known to the participants. I have never heard anyone speak of this before now, and I would have loved to know this about them."

Freahelm could see the wheels turning in his head and prompted, "Then perhaps it will be your task to collect such tales and make them known. Most histories of kings are only of their great and glorious deeds, such as in battle or caring for the people in times of great trial. You could be the one to find the personal stories that are not usually shared."

Theodred nodded, then added, "But there is more. Remember Dorgil? And here is Fetige. We have met numerous people along the way in our travels. Just everyday folk who live everyday lives in Middle Earth. I should like to tell their tales also. As a child growing up in Rohan, and even as a man, up until I went out adventuring with you, there is much I did not know about our world and the people in it. I want to collect that knowledge of people and places and make it available to others who may not have the opportunity that we have had to travel about and see it for themselves."

Freahelm grinned, "Well, if anyone could do it – and make it interesting – it would be you! Even I might read such a book or listen to such a tale!"

"Of course you would! Because you are going to help me collect the tales to write it!" Theodred assured him with a chuckle.

xx

Freahelm smiled down at his sleeping companion. In gratitude for Fetige's aid, he was doing chores in Hyrde's absence. Cafrinan had become totally enamored of the two visitors, and insisted on 'helping' him. It had not taken long for the four-year-old to collapse with weariness, though that had accelerated the work considerably. As it was nearing dinnertime, Freahelm strapped his sword back on and wiped the sweat from his brow. For a few moments he walked among the rows of the garden, surveying his handiwork. There was little left to glean this close to winter, but the family could use every last morsel. Hefting the sack with the few items he had found, he slipped it over his shoulder, then lifted the boy gently into his arms and stepped toward the garden gate.

Just as he started to round the large tree at the entrance, a man stepped into view, a rough dagger held threateningly at Freahelm. "I'll have that boy!" the man demanded.

Despite the hostile gesture, Freahelm sensed fear in the man's actions. With an easy motion, he settled Cafrinan on his right shoulder as he shifted hastily to his right, clear of the garden so he would have freedom of movement. Nervously the man, lurched at him, waving the knife, but he effortlessly backstepped from it.

"Don' move!" the man ordered, "or I'll kill ya! Give me the boy!"

Freahelm's left hand dropped to his hip. When Elfwine had lost his right hand in an accident, many men in Rohan's army became forcefully aware of just how simple it was for a soldier to be disabled in battle. Consequently, many had undertaken learning to fight with a sword using either hand. Not surprisingly, Freahelm was one of them, and he had proven quite adept at it. "I am afraid I cannot let you touch this lad," Freahelm answered calmly. With one deft motion, he drew his sword left handed, and flipped it up into ready position.

Now the fear was clearly evident in the man's eyes, but there was also a look of desperation that surprised Freahelm. _Why was he so determined to harm this child?_ Whatever the reason, he would not allow it.

"Freahelm!" Without turning, Freahelm recognized Theodred's voice calling from the direction of the house, and coming toward them. Likely he had seen the altercation and was moving to help.

As his friend's footsteps drew near, he replied without looking, "Take Cafrinan. Keep him safe. I will deal with this brigand!"

Theodred stepped in quickly and snatched the boy to safety, as Freahelm used his sword to block the man's agitated attempt to dart forward. "I ain't no brigand! Give me my son!"

He was near frantic now, and at his words, both the other men skidded to a stop. "Son? You are Hyrde? Why did you not say so at first and we could have avoided this unpleasantness. We are guests of Fetige under your roof. We are merely defending your son against presumed harm," Freahelm explained, lowering his sword cautiously, making certain the man accepted his words.

Gradually Hyrde seemed to grasp what he was being told, and as Cafrinan was beginning to wake, Theodred tickled him lightly and said softly, "Look who is here."

He pointed toward the new arrival and the child's face broke into a grin, "Papa!" The boy reached for his father, and Theodred readily handed him over at the clear proof that the man was telling the truth about his identity.

Resheathing his sword, Freahelm scooped up the sack he had dropped and clapped Hyrde on the back, "My apologies for the misunderstanding, my friend. I did not intend to cause you such alarm. Your son wished to help me with the chores and fell asleep. We were just returning to the house for dinner. Come."

As they walked, he made introductions, explaining who they were and why they were there. Hyrde was rather embarrassed by his false assumption, but Freahelm reassured him that living so remotely, he could readily understand his alarm at finding unknown men at his home and holding his son.

The excitement and exercise had Theodred tired and in a cold sweat, so after eating, he laid back down for a nap, and the men sat talking, catching up on further news from Aldburg. Hyrde had left the wagon a bit away and crept up on the farm when he saw the strange man in his garden. They had retrieved it and unhitched the horse before eating, but now the two men worked to get the supplies unloaded and finish the other farm chores. Hyrde found he not only appreciated the help, but enjoyed the company as well.

As predicted, it took several days for Theodred to recover sufficiently for Fetige to be willing to release him to continue his travels. During their stay, he had pumped her for the story of her meeting his parents when she was yet a child, and the royal couple had cared for her sick parents, the story of her own difficult life that included the drowning death of her husband twelve years previously, the tragic story of Hyrde's wife, and even Cafrinan was eager to have it told how he was named for the fierce storm that had raged the night he was born. It had rained so hard the midwife was unable to be sent for so Hyrde and Fetige had attended the boy's mother, and brought him into the world. All these tales, Theodred faithfully recorded in a spare journal; the start of his historical record-keeping. He was not yet certain how he would organize these tales, or what could be done with them, but he would not let these stories be lost to the sands of time.

xx

Nearly a sennight after their arrival, on a brisk fall day, they set out on their trek once more. They had not gone far back toward the main road, when Freahelm drew his horse to a stop, staring pensively at the ground. He had become deeply attached to the little family, and struggled to hide his tears as they parted company. It was clear to Theodred that he had something weighing heavily on his mind, and he waited for his friend to confide his thoughts.

At length, Freahelm glanced up, "Do you mind a slight delay before we continue on to Mundburg? I should like to return to Aldburg for a few things." He offered no further explanation, so Theodred merely nodded and shrugged, turning his horse about and nudging him to a canter, as Freahelm fell in alongside him.

Realizing they would either have to camp out in the cold an extra night, stay another night with Hyrde's family or remain in Aldburg until the next day, they collected the things they sought and took a room for the night. Usually Theodred stayed at his family's home when visiting here, but he did not wish to disrupt the household for a single night. Besides, if the housekeeper, Betersel, learned of his recent illness, she'd keep him here a week ensuring he was fully recovered!

By early afternoon, there was quite a bundle accumulated on Freahelm's bed. It had pained him to see the little family struggling to survive on so little, and he had determined to provide a few extras to make the winter a little easier on them. Then, leaving Theodred to rest, he ventured forth to make one last purchase.

When he returned, a large item bundled under his arm, he found a handful of coins on his pillow. He glanced up at Theodred who met his gaze evenly, "They are my friends, too, and I am perhaps even more indebted to them than you. Let me help also."

The two rarely discussed money issues. In most things, they shared equally, though they camped out so often they could offset the need for coin, and usually in cities they stayed with family or friends and avoided expense in that way. But Theodred well knew that he could better afford this expense than Freahelm, though he did not wish to embarrass his friend by the offer. As far as he was concerned, they were equal partners in this venture, and each contributed in their own ways whatever they had to offer.

Finally, Freahelm nodded, and laid the last item on the pile – the most expensive item. It was a sword. Not the finest workmanship, but a serviceable sword, nevertheless.

Theodred eyed it a moment, then rose and pulled it from the simple sheath, hefting it and giving it a few easy swipes to test its feel. "They are too remote," Freahelm explained quietly. "They should have a better means of defending themselves than just a crude dagger."

Slipping the sword back in the sheath, Theodred tossed it lightly back onto the bed, then suddenly reached up and ruffled his friend's hair. "You old softie! Those children have wormed their way under your skin, have they not?" Theodred exclaimed, laughing teasingly.

Freahelm flushed red and mock punched his friend. "Just for that, you get to buy supper. Until then, it is my turn to nap." With that, he scooped the goods off onto the small table in the room, settled on his bed and closed his eyes.

For several moments, Theodred stood grinning down at him in amusement. He might like to appear strong and unaffected, but he truly was a good and kind man, a great deal like his father, come to think of it. Taking the suggestion, Theodred resettled on his own bed, and they rested until it was time to go eat.

xx

Hyrde and Fetige had not expected to see Theodred and Freahelm riding back into the farmyard the next morning. And they certainly had not expected them to come bearing gifts, but the pair was most insistent that they be allowed to express their gratitude for the hospitality shown them. Freahelm was not content merely to gift the sword to Hyrde, but insisted on giving him a few lessons with it as well, and made him promise to work with it regularly to keep in practice. Before they left, he rested his hand on the man's shoulder and told him sincerely, "I will rest easier knowing you are better able to protect your little ones, Hyrde. Keep them safe – for both of us. I have come to love them dearly."

How could a man be embarrassed by such a gift given by so dear a friend? He embraced Freahelm warmly and bid them safe journey; and the men from Edoras at long last resumed their travels to the east.

**TBC**

**6-15-06**

Hyrde – "guardian"

Cafrinan – "quick rain"

Horethnis – "ease cares"


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: Another fairly short one, but quicker. Readership seems to have fallen off dramatically, in general, the past few months, but not to worry, my faithful few. As long as you want to read my stories, I'll keep writing them. Actually, I'll probably keep writing them even if I go back to be being the only one reading them...that's how I got started! The next chapter will probably be longer, and arrive sometime next week, depending on how long it takes me to finish up the loose ends I have dangling.  
_**

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 10 (begins late Nov, 44 IV)**

Because of Theodred's unique situation, he usually had his pick of relatives to stay with in Minas Tirith. Through his mother's family, there was the Dol Amroth townhouse to make use of, though he was less inclined to do so now that his grandfather had passed on and his Uncle Elphir was the ruling Prince. He liked Uncle Elphir, but his stiffer manner was not nearly so inviting and Theodred felt himself more an imposition if he made too frequent visits there, or stayed too long.

However, through his father, and his mother as well, he was connected to the Steward of Gondor, and they were always most accommodating both in Minas Tirith and Emyn Arnen whenever he chose to put in appearance. That was generally where he took up abode, and did so on this trip. His third option, only used on rare occasions when he was absolutely desperate, was to fall back on his brother's marital tie to the royal family of Gondor. King Elessar and Queen Arwen were equally as hospitable and inviting as the Steward, but he did not think it wise to make use of that connection too often. Even so, Elessar would not allow his visits to the city to go unnoticed and made certain he received numerous invitations to stop by for talks, attend gatherings and so forth, generally making certain he felt welcome and very much a part of the extended family.

Even when the Steward and his family were to be found in Emyn Arnen, a half day's journey from the city, they had made it clear to Theodred that he was to make their Minas Tirith home his own whenever he chose to do so, particularly in light of his recent traveling. He was both relieved and sorry that they were not in residence when the pair arrived this time. To some extent, he was hoping to talk to Faramir about all that had happened with Arawine and Kata, hoping to clear his mind and sort his thoughts, but in another sense, he rather suspected he already could guess what conclusions his uncle would reach, and that they would largely mirror those his mother had expressed.

Though the pair knew that no one would object to their having separate rooms and indulging in making full use of the servants and the facilities of the Steward's residence, neither wished to impose to that great an extent. Already grateful that they were so readily accommodated, they shared a room and kept their impact on the household to a minimum. Still, both fully appreciated warm, clean beds, roaring fires, and available hot baths whenever they wished, not to mention excellent food, well prepared, by someone else. They were used to simple fare for breakfast and dinner, and had finally persuaded the cook to allow them to keep to that regimen for the most part. Only if they dined in of an evening did they give in to fancier fare, though they sometimes made it a point to eat at an inn or accept invitations to feast with friends.

Within a week of their arrival, November was drawing to a close and Faramir's family arrived from Emyn Arnen, surprised but pleased to find them there.

Though Faramir was eager to hear of Theodred's most recent travels, he soon realized something more was at work than before, and that his nephew was not so wild to share his adventures this time around. Rather than press, Faramir allowed the young man to broach the subject in his own good time, and eventually Theodred did explain the culmination of his trip and the unpleasantness ever since his discovery in Dale. The Steward did not need to be told that the matter had been left unresolved, both between the two young men and within Theodred's own heart and mind, yet he did not feel he could give him any easy answers. There were choices and decisions that only Theodred could make, and then actions only he could take. While Faramir, and likely the rest of the family, would do all they could to facilitate peace being restored, in the end only Arawine and Theodred could settle this matter.

To some extent, Freahelm was not totally clear what his role was now. When Theodred had been intent on traveling, he was to go as a companion, if for no other reason than safety, but once they had reached Mundburg, and it was clear they would likely stay there through the winter months, Freahelm had no fixed purpose. True, King Eomer had never officially released him from service in the army, and unofficially he was specifically attached to Theodred as a bodyguard. Presumably that was yet the case, even if they were not traveling and danger was minimized for the time being. Still, he would need to find something to occupy his time while they were in the city or he would surely become fat and lazy, and go quite mad. Theodred would attempt to engage him in his new interest of collecting tales and making an historical record, and he would good-naturedly allow it, but he could not see it becoming an all-consuming passion with him as it was rapidly becoming with his friend. At least Minas Tirith offered year-round pursuits of entertainment, and their several recent visits had acquainted him with the city and many of the soldiers who served here. He supposed he could keep from being too bored.

Early in December, he and Theodred ventured out into the city. Theodred was in search of better writing materials for his project, and though Freahelm couldn't be of much help to him in that respect, he thought to stretch his legs. When they found a sizable and respectable looking stationers shop on the fourth level, Freahelm left Theodred at the door and wandered off down the street, agreeing to return shortly.

Moments later, his nose led him into an out-of-the-way shop, and he eased into its warmth, inhaling appreciatively the delightful fragrance.

In the back, Gimilzor sighed and nudged his daughter, Belwen, "Ai! Another customer! This morning is frantic! Will you see to it, dearest? I must get these breads started."

She smiled indulgently at him, and nodded, "Yes, Papa!" and hurried to the front.

The young man turned toward her grinning, and asked, "What is that divine smell?" He had a look of rapture on his face, and she could not restrain a laugh at his expression.

Moving toward him, she took a sniff to determine what precisely he might be smelling and her eyes lit up. "Ah, the cinnamon rolls. They should just about be done." Quickly she moved over to the ovens and peeked inside, then satisfied with what she saw, lowered the door away and carefully removed the tray of fresh, hot rolls. Now the smell filled the shop and Freahelm was nearly overcome. Eagerly he came toward her and reached for one, but she was able to snatch the tray away, and set it on a counter where he could not get close. "Sir! They are not ready! And they are much too hot to eat yet!"

Practically dancing in place, Freahelm waited impatiently as she began mixing a glaze for the rolls. Since they needed to cool a bit longer before she could add it, she turned to him and asked, "Is there anything else I may get you while you wait?"

Without thinking, he reached his hand toward her to brush some flour from her cheek, and her eyes widened in alarm as she hastily stepped back from him. His hand hung in the air as he blushed red, apologizing, "I am sorry. I did not mean to be so forward. You have some flour – there, on your cheek. I was just going to…"

Quickly she grabbed a towel and scrubbed at her face in embarrassment, and when she looked up he grinned reassuringly, "That got it." There was an awkward silence for several moments, so he moved away, looking in the display windows at the goods, but nothing appealed to him quite like those enticing rolls that he could still smell, and that were making his mouth water and his stomach rumble. Wandering back toward her, he asked, "How much are the rolls?"

When she quoted him a price, he fished in his pocket to count the coins there and then slapped them on the counter, "That should get me six!"

"Six!" she exclaimed in astonishment. "But you have not even tried one yet! How do you know you will even like them?"

He grinned disarmingly and replied, "Nothing that smells that wonderful could possibly taste bad! Do you make them every day?"

She nodded slowly and he shook his head in dismay. " 'Tis a pity!"

"Why?" she asked cautiously.

"I do believe I had best find some sort of work so I can afford to come here every day to stock up – and to work off what I eat!" He rubbed his stomach thoughtfully, "I am thinking some hard physical labor might be in order. Perhaps they can use me in the stables!"

In spite of herself, Belwen laughed. She had never met a man quite like this one before.

"Belwen?" Her father came from the back to see what was taking so long.

"Oh, Father. I was just waiting for the rolls to cool so I could glaze them. This young man wishes to buy several of them."

"Oh. Very well then. Carry on."

Her father gave the two of them a curious look and returned to the back of the shop, and Belwen turned to the glazing. As she did, Freahelm noticed her blond hair tucked under her cap and eyed it curiously. Blond hair was certainly a rarity in Gondor, except among visitors.

"How do you come by your blond hair, if you do not mind my asking?" he queried, leaning on the counter. "I rarely see that in Gondor, unless I bring it with me!"

Knowing he was watching her work made her self-conscious, but she tried to ignore it as she explained, "My mother was born in Rohan. After the war, she came to Gondor looking for work and met my father. I inherited my hair coloring from her. I am the only one to get it. My sister's hair is dark like Father's."

He watched her drizzle glaze for a moment, then his eyes fell on a vase of flowers perched on the counter. But as he looked closer, he realized they were flowers made of paper that had been folded. Moving closer, he began to examine them. They were so exquisitely done, that when he had first come in, he had not even noticed that they were not real, despite the fact that they should have been out of season. There were several different kinds, some of which he did not recognize, but those he did were almost perfectly rendered and he could not find any complaint with them. Theomund would be interested in these…

He looked up to find her watching him and asked, "Where did these come from? They are incredible!"

Blushing, she confessed, "I…made them. It can be difficult to keep fresh flowers in the shop with the warmth of the ovens, and I enjoy working with paper."

"Well, they are perfectly marvelous! Now, are those rolls ready yet? I cannot wait much longer!" He gave her his most pleading look and she burst out laughing.

"Yes, they are ready! Do you want to take _any_ of them with you, or do you intend to eat them _all_ here?"

"I have not yet decided. I will start eating and let you know when I am ready to leave," Freahelm answered eagerly moving toward her.

xx

Theodred's excursion into town was not proving quite so agreeable as Freahelm's was.

"What is the problem, Elbragol?" a soft voice asked, and both men looked up.

For a moment, Theodred was thrown off his guard. The woman standing before him was not the sort one expected to find 'clerking' in a shop. Then, as she moved toward them, her hobbled gait drew his gaze and he could guess why she was here. Forcing his eyes elsewhere so as not to embarrass her, he interrupted the clerk who was telling her of Theodred's complaint, "Do not misunderstand, my lady. I am not trying to be difficult."

Before he could continue, she told him, "My lord, this shop has been in existence for over forty years. My brother runs it now, but my father ran it before him. Indeed, it is considered one of the finest stationers in all of Gondor."

Theodred nodded his agreement, answering, "I would not dispute that! I am Theodred of Rohan, and I have been in many such shops. I would venture to say that it may well be that your shop is one of the finest in all of Middle Earth, but that does not change the fact that I do not seem able to communicate to your clerk what I am seeking. I am in need of specific papers. I am not looking for mere writing papers to send letters upon. I need something more substantial that will last the ages for I am compiling an historical work. Surely a stationer of your renown can meet my need more readily than any other."

She eyed him a moment, and he got the impression she was assessing his sincerity and character. Apparently satisfied with whatever conclusion she reached, she stepped behind a counter and stooped down. A moment later, she lifted a box onto the counter and opened it. "This is the paper we produce especially for the archives of the City. I believe it will meet with your approval."

The clerk stepped forward with concern. "But, my lady! We cannot let him have–"

She cut him off. "I will take responsibility for it, Elbragol. There is time to replace what we sell to him, and in the future we can make it a practice to stock a bit extra for customers other than the archives who may wish to purchase it."

Stepping back respectfully, the man gave a brief bow and nodded. "Yes, my lady."

Theodred was examining the paper, and found it was exactly what he had had in mind. "May I have the entire box, or will that present a problem?" he inquired. "I could come back if you need time to produce more for me. A dozen sheets will suffice for now."

She pushed the box toward him, saying, "You may have the box. The archives do not go through it that quickly, and we will be able to replace it before they ever realize they were somewhat short. Do you have any idea what your future need might be so we may have some idea how to plan production?"

"I will reflect on the matter and return with some sort of estimate for you, and I thank you for your consideration."

xx

"Where have you been for the past half hour?" Theodred queried raising an eyebrow and scuffing his gloved hands together to generate some warmth.

"At the bakery," Freahelm responded mildly, as he turned toward the upper levels and fell in beside his friend.

"The bakery? All that time? Doing what?" Theodred asked incredulously.

"Acquainting myself with their history. It is truly quite a fascinating place."

"Indeed! And does this _place_ have a name?" Theodred questioned with knowing amusement.

Innocently his friend answered, "It is owned by Gimilzor, but I spoke with his daughter, Belwen."

"Ah, _Belwen_. And might I assume that the young lady is rather lovely, and possibly more of an attraction than the bakery itself?"

"She is certainly not unappealing, but you are much too suspicious, my friend. I have only been about your business. Did you not enjoin me to collect such stories? I was just doing as you instructed."

Theodred cut loose with a hearty laugh, and Freahelm barely restrained a grin in response. "How _commendable_! And will you be so accommodating when it is a gnarly, disagreeable, old man I wish you to interview?"

Shaking his head in mock dismay, Freahelm said, "I fear such would best be left to your greater skill at extracting detail and nuance, my friend. I would not dream of presuming myself on the level of the master!"

Tears now formed in Theodred's eyes he was laughing so hard. "Well, you are certainly the master of _something_, that much is clear!"

**TBC**

**6-16-06**

Elbragol - "sudden star"

Gimilzor – "man of stars"

Belwen – "strong maiden"


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N: Man, I'm on a roll here! Unfortunately, it looks like I may slow down a bit now. I only have unconnected bits and pieces now, so I have to come up with quite a bit more story to connect all the dots. And my muse went and wandered off to Vegas - oh, wait, that was just for the weekend. Nevermind. She'll be back on duty soon so maybe it won't take all that long - well, for her part anyway. She nudges me with ideas, but I still have to sit down and write it. I really should delay longer in posting this chapter since ch. 12 is nowhere near ready, but I won't be that cruel (though I guess that makes me cruel going forward…). Can you see why I prefer posting completed stories? I hate making people wait to see what happens next! I'm such a softie (like Freahelm)! Anyway, this chapter should answer a few questions, and raise a few more. _**

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer **

**Chapter 11 (begins Dec, 44 IV) **

As Theodred stepped into the street, he saw that the throng of midday shoppers had swelled. There was quite a crowd, and he had to work his way among people along the bustling thoroughfare. Suddenly some fool called out that there was a sale taking place on the next level down and the throng surged eagerly toward the gate. Too many people were pressed too tightly together; no one in their midst could do other than choose to be swept along as well.

Even with his youth and agility, Theodred had to keep alert not to be overturned by the rushing mass, but a small scream just ahead alerted him that someone was not so fortunate. A woman had clearly fallen, and the crowd was either unwilling or unable to stop and help her. They were barely clearing a path around her and he dug in his heels, bullying people aside as he waded toward her. She was sprawled on her hands and knees, and with a quick motion he caught her by the waist, hauling her forcefully up and pressing her close to him, then wrestling them both off to the side and into an alcove cut in the wall.

Her face was pressed into his left shoulder, and she was weeping, though he was fairly certain it was more from fright than from actual harm. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he held her close until her shaking eased and she seemed to calm. With a shuddering breath, she whispered, "I thank you, my lord, for the assistance!"

He turned in surprise at the sound, recognizing the voice. "It is you!"

At his words, her head jerked up, her hazel eyes meeting his. "Lord...Theodred, was it?"

"Yes, but I do not believe I caught your name."

"I am Esgalmir, my lord. And I thank you for my rescue."

"Please, call me Theodred. I was glad to be of assistance. It is little wonder you were overwhelmed. I struggled myself in that mob." Suddenly realizing his words might sound rude, he blushed red. "Forgive me, I did not mean..."

"No, that is all right. I am aware that I do not move well."

She pulled from his arms and stepped away from him, but he caught her elbow. "I...was just going to dinner. Would you join me? The crowd seems to have passed, and I should think you would be better acquainted with the inns of this city than I am."

She eyed him somewhat hesitantly, not certain what to make of his request; was it the result of pity, an attempted apology for his rudeness, or something else? If it was either of the first two, she could not discern it on his face. He seemed completely straightforward, and at length she nodded slightly. "Very well. The Seven Bells is just a short distance from here." She gestured to the right of the alcove and he offered his arm to her, which she took politely, but kept her eyes averted.

They walked the now nearly deserted roadway in silence. Despite the noon hour, with so many off to check the sale on the lower level, the inn was not as busy as usual and they had their pick of seats. Theodred guided Esgalmir to a fairly secluded table near the fire, where it would be easier to hold a conversation.

Once they had ordered stew, bread and hot tea, they found themselves alone. Uncomfortably, Esgalmir glanced about the room, checking to see if there was anyone she knew who might ask difficult questions later, but fortunately saw no one. Forcing a smile, she turned to her companion, and said, "So, Theodred, what brings you to Minas Tirith, then? You are a long way from home."

She had thought the question a rather neutral one; safe ground to tread with a stranger. Instead, a look of intense pain flashed in the man's eyes and he swallowed hard. Quickly he closed his eyes and leaned back, balling his hands into fists, seeming to will himself to be calm and controlled, but whatever emotion had seized him would not readily be banished.

A surge of empathy went through her. She had always considered herself a fine judge of character, and this was a good young man. Despite his words spoken somewhat in haste earlier, he had not meant any offense, of that she was certain. And something in his life was greatly amiss, causing him tremendous anguish of spirit.

"Theodred," she said softly, "I do not know that I can be of any help, but I am willing to listen if you wish it." She laid a warm hand on his clenched fist, and almost against his will it began to relax somewhat.

They were interrupted just then as the serving girl returned with their food, eyeing Theodred curiously as she laid things out, and turning away reluctantly when she was done. Slowly he reached for the spoon and poked at the stew a bit, moving it around in the dish, then tortuously he began to pour out the tale to her of all that had happened – from his meeting Kata in Minas Tirith, to his visit to Dale, to her coming to Edoras, to his finding her kissing Arawine and the subsequent blowup.

"Did you love her?" Esgalmir asked quietly.

Theodred rubbed his face thoughtfully, then admitted, "No, I do not suppose that I truly did. Mother was right about that. Mother is _always_ right!" He chuckled ruefully, and she smiled at the comment. Continuing, he explained, "It is just, there are so many things in my life that were – that are – unsettled. Kata was…convenient. She was a simple solution. She was one less thing to worry about accomplishing and sorting through. I was not fair to her, and I was not fair to myself in the way I dealt with the situation. I am just glad that she found happiness in spite of me. I would hate to think I had hurt her terribly by my selfishness, if she had truly been deeply in love with me."

He sat staring fixedly at his cup of tea, and it was evident to her that there was more to the story. "And?" she prompted gently.

Sighing heavily, he leaned back and closed his eyes again. "And I do not know how to ever set things right with Twin."

"Twin?"

Without opening his eyes to look at her, he explained, "I mentioned that my nephew and I are the same age, but Arawine and I were so close to one another all of our lives that we were thought of as twins. How do I repair the damage I did? How do I take back the hateful things I said, even if I did not mean them?" His eyes blinked open, filled with pain. "I ran. I am here in Minas Tirith because I could not bear to be there with him, and feel so awkward around him, and I did not know how to change it. But I cannot imagine spending the rest of my life separated from him...or from Kata."

He took a swallow of tea, then raised pleading eyes to hers. "How can I ever get them to forgive me for the great hurt I caused them, and to not feel guilty – to not think they were in any way to blame? It was _me_, it was all _my_ fault!"

She considered his entreaty a moment, then offered softly, "Perhaps the only way is to stop running, and to simply tell them, face to face. From what you said happened with Arawine, just before you left Edoras, I think he desires a reconciliation as much as you do, and surely Kata would not feel guilty if she saw the two of you were no longer angry with each other. Talk to them, Theodred."

He stared into his empty teacup for some time then let out a mirthless laugh. "You sound like my mother! That alone should tell me to listen to your advice! I have never known Mother to be wrong about anything! Indeed, Father would tell you she never is!" He fell silent again. At length he nodded. "Yes. I am sure Kata will return to Rohan for another visit, likely in the spring. When she comes, I will be there also and speak with them both. I want this resolved."

Esgalmir gave him an encouraging smile, then finished her tea, saying apologetically, "I truly must be returning to the shop, but I thank you for your assistance earlier, and for dinner."

Quickly Theodred rose and offered his hand to assist her, then fetched her cloak and paid their bill. They made their way slowly through the streets, now less risky since the earlier throng had dwindled considerably. At the shop door, Theodred bowed and kissed her hand. "My thanks, Esgalmir, for the company and the conversation. It felt good to unburden my heart about this matter to an unbiased listener. I am most appreciative."

"You are very welcome, my lord. Good day." She stepped inside and then watched as he moved away, back toward the upper levels of the city. A most intriguing young man this Theodred of Rohan was proving to be.

xx

The festivities of Mettare, though essentially held at the same time as Rohan's own Yule celebrations, were vastly different. It seemed virtually all of Minas Tirith was bedecked with greenery brought from the woodlands of Ithilien, and the nobility held party after party through the entire month of December, all culminating in a grand affair hosted by the king and queen at Merethrond on the night of Mettare itself.

Faramir and Eowyn chose the end of the third week for their party, and this was the one social event that the Steward's lady actually fretted about the details. She liked to do something unusual and special each year, but after nearly forty-five years, her supply of ideas was wearing thin.

Over breakfast with her two visitors, she was bemoaning her dearth of creativity this season, when she was surprised by aid from an unexpected quarter. Clearing his throat, Freahelm offered, "There is a bakery on the fourth level..." Theodred rolled his eyes and bit into his toast as Freahelm continued. "They have the most wonderful little sugared teacakes I have ever tasted. And the baker's daughter does these flower arrangements by folding paper. At first I did not realize they were made of paper they looked so real. Perhaps that would be something unusual."

Eowyn's eyes brightened. "Interesting! Will you take me there after breakfast?"

Theodred snorted. "It will be his pleasure! And he is happy to stay as long as you wish! Ow!" He bent to rub the ankle that Freahelm had kicked under the table.

Eowyn looked between the two and shook her head with amusement. She had lived closely among men far too long not to be able to guess the hidden meaning behind those cryptic words and actions. If there was not a girl involved in this _somehow_, she would buy out the _entire_ bakery. _Ah! The baker's daughter..._

While Freahelm had become a regular customer and common sight in the bakery, the Steward's wife certainly had not. Because he was accompanying Eowyn, Freahelm was there somewhat earlier than usual, and Gimilzor was at the counter waiting on customers. The entire place fell silent at the sight of the White Lady, too astonished to speak. The largest noble households, particularly the Steward and the King, usually employed their own servants and did not need to venture out to such shops, so this was most unusual.

Finally recovering his composure slightly, Gimilzor squeaked, "May I help you, my lady?"

"Yes. My friend tells me you have some tea cakes that may interest me for my party." She looked at Freahelm, who steered her toward a display window and gestured at the ones he meant. Hastily, Gimilzor scurried over to retrieve one, and offer it to Eowyn for her to sample.

A moment later, her brow raised, obviously impressed, "You did not exaggerate, Freahelm! These are divine! Served with a raspberry tea to offset the sweetness a bit; yes. Excellent. Would you be able to produce two hundred of these by the evening of the twenty-fourth? I wish to serve them at my Mettare gathering."

Gimilzor's eyes grew very round and his head bobbed in agitated agreement. "Yes, my lady! Of course!"

Eowyn looked around the bakery, and then told him, "Let me know if you require me to get extra help for you to meet the order, or find some place to store them. I realize that is quite an order at the last minute. Do they store well?"

"They will keep for a few days, my lady, especially in the cool weather."

"Good. Now, I wish to meet your daughter and see her flowers."

"Flowers?" Gimilzor asked in puzzlement.

"These," Freahelm explained, lifting the vase from the counter.

Eowyn took it from him and examined the bouquet closely. "You are right. These are unusual. They will do nicely. The only question is whether or not she will be able to help with the baking _and_ make enough of these also in the little time there is left."

Gimilzor had scurried to the back of the shop and called Belwen to the front. Now she stood nervously by his side, glancing from the Lady Eowyn to Freahelm. The rest of the customers had long since forgotten about their own purchases, much too enthralled in watching the events playing out before them.

"You are...Belwen?" Eowyn asked, glancing at Freahelm, to make sure she was getting the name correct, and receiving a confirming nod.

"Yes, my lady," Belwen tentatively responded, bobbing a curtsy.

"Freahelm has brought to my attention your skill in creating these wonderful paper flowers. I am looking for something unusual to use for my Mettare gathering on the twenty-fourth. This is very short notice, and I have just hired your father to supply two hundred tea cakes for the event. Given all that, is there enough time to create decorations of these delightful flowers – as centerpieces and to scatter about the room in other arrangements? Or is that just not possible? I have no idea how long such a thing might take."

Belwen looked completely stunned by the request. "I...I...do not know, my lady..."

"Well, why do you not consider the matter the remainder of the day. I will send Freahelm back this evening when the shop closes, and he can escort you to my home. That will give you an opportunity to see what I have in mind, and what will be needed. Then you may better judge whether or not it is possible to do all or even just some. If not this year, then I will keep you in mind for next year when we have more time to prepare. In fact, I shall be pleased if you will join us for supper this evening. Do not dress specially. Just come as you are from work. That will be fine."

"Thank you, my lady," Belwen murmured, in utter bewilderment.

Eowyn clearly seemed to think their business was concluded, but Freahelm was not finished. "Are the cinnamon rolls done yet?" he asked hopefully.

With an indulgent smile, Belwen told him, "They should be ready soon."

Turning to Eowyn, Freahelm sheepishly said, "If you do not wish to wait, I will follow later. I cannot pass up my morning roll."

With a chuckle, Eowyn turned toward the door. "I will see you at the house." Then under her breath, she murmured, "The way to a man's heart..."

xx

Normally, a person would not attend a party with a pair of journals tucked under their arm, but as this was the first time Theodred would be attending the King of Gondor's celebration of Mettare, he wanted to chronicle it while it was all fresh in his mind. Too, he wondered if Esgalmir would be attending. If so, perhaps he would have the opportunity to show her pictures he had drawn of Kata and Arawine, since he had revealed so much about them to her.

Because of his connection to the royal family, he was able to arrive early and witness the event even as it was beginning to set up, before the first guests were admitted, and he noted everything as he wandered the hall. Eldarion and Luthiel were the first to join him, watching the preparations with bemusement as they stood chatting with him, before finally separating to go oversee various elements of the evening. Luthiel always took a personal interest in the entertainment for the children of the guests, and Eldarion wanted to make certain the Guards of the Citadel and their families had a pleasant time.

Freahelm finally put in appearance with a nervous looking Belwen on his arm. She had reluctantly agreed to accompany him, after Eowyn had specifically issued an invitation over supper the night they first met. The girl felt out of her element in this noble crowd, but Freahelm assured her no one would object to her presence if she was with him, by invitation of the Steward's wife.

Certainly she couldn't feel inappropriately dressed for the occasion. The very next morning after the invitation was issued, Luthiel, who was about the same size as Belwen, had turned up at the bakery with her personal seamstress in tow. A few quick measurements and they disappeared, returning hours later with the most gorgeous pale blue gown Belwen had ever laid eyes on. It fit her nearly to perfection, and she could scarcely believe it was truly her staring back from the polished metal that served as a looking glass. Her father dabbed at tears, mumbling that she looked so much like her dear, departed mother, and her sister was speechless with awe that the royal princess was giving Belwen hand-me-down gowns to wear to fancy balls.

Belwen herself almost felt as though she should refuse such generosity, but Lady Eowyn was most insistent that it be considered part of the payment for Belwen's assistance with the Mettare party, and so, in the end, she had capitulated and succumbed to this delicious dream.

Now that she actually found herself inside the Citadel, she was quite overwhelmed by the magnificence of the Merethrond, and Freahelm made it a point to take her on a tour of the hall before the dinner was served so she could see everything. Eowyn and Faramir further put her at ease by warmly greeting her, though her heart nearly failed her when they introduced her to the royal couple.

After the feast was eaten, various forms of entertainment began. The wintry weather meant strolls in the garden would be limited, but the tables were pushed back and room was made for dancing at one end of the hall, acrobats performed at the other end, and games of dice, chess, backgammon and checkers were set up at the tables for those so inclined.

Freahelm had been eagerly looking forward to the dancing, but found that his partner was far more reticent about the matter. "I am not a good dancer, Freahelm. I get confused with the steps," she claimed, resisting his efforts to draw her onto the floor.

Suddenly he leaned down and grinned charmingly at her. "Do not think about it! Just trust me, and follow what I do!" With that, he caught her by the waist and swept her onto the floor, her eyes wide with astonishment. But several minutes in, she began to relax, discovering that despite a few missteps, he kept a steady hand about her and gave her clear signals about which way to go next. When the dance concluded, Belwen was amazed to find how much she had enjoyed herself.

Quite a healthy crowd was in attendance, and Theodred strolled amongst them observing everything. Under other circumstances, he might have indulged in chess or checkers, something he was quite good at back home, but that could wait until another time. There was too much to see and note on this rare occasion to waste time on something so commonplace.

He did take time for a few dances with a couple of young ladies that gave him imploring looks, and enjoyed a few goblets of mulled wine to refresh himself. As yet, he had not spotted Esgalmir. He wondered if she had stayed away, fearing the crowd might be a danger to her safety. He hoped that was not the case, for it would be a shame for her to miss out on the fun.

Earlier, Luthiel had mentioned there was entertainment planned for the children in an antechamber, away from the main hall, and he wandered in the direction she had indicated to see what that entailed. The sound of childish laughter soon guided him to the correct location and he stepped into a room filled with boys and girls seated on the floor or standing along the side. As he glanced toward the front of the room, the smile slipped from his face and his chest constricted in pain.

Luthiel had failed to mention precisely what the entertainment was – puppeteers from Dale. Inhaling sharply, he turned quickly away and hurried out, not noticing the woman watching him from the corner of the room, and turning to slowly follow.

For several moments, he walked blindly, finally stopping in a deserted hallway and resting against a polished pillar. He laid his head against the cool stone with a heavy sigh. A soft voice, said quietly, "Theodred?" He jumped, and wheeled sharply, then relaxed when he recognized Esgalmir in the low light of the torches hanging on the wall.

"Are you well?" she asked.

He nodded wearily. "I will be. I was not expecting..." There was a bench along the wall and he gestured toward it, offering her his arm. Once they were seated, he explained, "Kata is a puppeteer, and she taught me how to do it also. I did not know that was the childrens' entertainment. I was not prepared."

Esgalmir nodded in understanding, then gently entreated, "Come, Theodred, do not let unhappy thoughts ruin the Mettare celebration for you." To his surprise, he found himself yielding, and the tension in his shoulders subsiding. Her gaze moved to the books under his arm. "What are those?"

He glanced down to follow her gaze, and pulled them out to show her. "My journals. I have been noting how Mettare is celebrated in Gondor. We celebrate Yule in Rohan and it is quite different. Plus, I thought, if you were here, you might like to see my drawings of Kata and Arawine."

"Oh, yes. I would."

For the remainder of the evening, they stayed in the hallway, going through the journals. Esgalmir confessed that she wasn't much inclined to attend such parties, since she couldn't dance and it was difficult not to be jostled in the crowded conditions, but her brother felt it important that she put in appearance, particularly at this one, so she did.

Since he had never attended a Mettare celebration, she drew him back to the main hall in time for the final singing of songs, before the evening drew to a close, and the King pronounced his blessing on the gathering and the new year.

Esgalmir sequestered herself off to the side, out of the way of the crowd as they began to disperse, and Theodred waited with her. While they stood talking, a tall, thin man put in appearance, striding quickly toward them, and Theodred felt his companion tense.

"Are you ready, Esgalmir?" He barely acknowledged Theodred.

With an amused smirk, Esgalmir pointedly introduced, "Lord Theodred, may I introduce my brother, Anbarad? Anbarad, this is Lord Theodred, of Rohan, son of King Eomer."

The change in Anbarad was tangible, and his demeanor immediately became obsequious. "My lord! It is an honor to make your acquaintance! If I may ask, how is it that you know my sister?"

Theodred restrained the annoyance twitching at his mouth and answered, "As it happens, we met in the stationers shop, which I believe you perhaps own?" He cast a questioning glance at Esgalmir, who gave him a confirming nod. "She has been most accommodating in helping me acquire the supplies I need for my work."

Anbarad's enthusiasm dampened a bit at this news; a customer was not what he had been hoping to find. He repeated his question to his sister, "Are you ready to depart?"

Esgalmir sighed, looking at the crowd that was still considerably larger than she would have liked, but she knew how impatient her brother was.

"Lord Anbarad," Theodred interrupted, "your sister and I were just discussing the Mettare traditions, which we are unfamiliar with in Rohan. I wonder if she might linger a few moments more, and I will accompany her safely home when our conversation is concluded. Is this agreeable to you?"

There was the briefest hesitation, but Anbarad had no intention of opposing the son of a king, who just might have an interest in his sister. "Certainly, my lord. That would be most agreeable. I will see you at home, Esgalmir. Good evening to you, my lord." He bowed sharply, and moved away after eyeing Theodred speculatively.

**TBC **

**6-17-06 **

Esgalmir - "hidden treasure"

Anbarad – "long tower"

The Seven Bells inn is referred to by Evendim in her story "Sharpe's Trophy" and is used by permission. If it's good enough for my lovely Damrod to frequent when he can (ch. 12, above referenced story), then it's good enough for Esgalmir to recommend to Theodred!

A/N2: In case you're wondering, Theodred brought 2 journals to the party - a completed one with the drawings of Kata & Arawine and a newer one that he is presently working in.


	12. Chapter 12

**_A/N: Thanks to MBDTA for her review of ch. 10 with questions that spurred me to be more descriptive here, and give more explanation than I was originally going to. If Tracey would just wander home and keep me in line these things might not happen… So, the rest of you – go right ahead and ask questions if you like. It might inspire me to write better! Also, JuliaAurelia made a comment about Theodred's sensitivity to Esgalmir's handicap that will become more significant later on. Stay tuned! _**

**_By the way, lady scribe commented on how benevolent I've made the royal families in my stories, but when you consider the people who make up the royal families, they all "rose from the ranks" so I would expect them to be a bit more in touch with the common man than those born to nobility and raised with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouths. And I've just presumed they've raised their children similarly. Possibly a fantasy but, hey, it's my fantasy! _**

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer **

**Chapter 12 (begins Mettare, 44 IV) **

"What of this Theodred of Rohan?" her brother asked, almost the instant Esgalmir walked in the door. He had been waiting in the parlor, but now stepped into the hallway after the door had closed behind Theodred, and she had not yet removed her cloak. He made no move to help her.

She knew where this was leading, but she had no intention of helping it along. "What of him?" she replied mildly, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on her gloves as she pulled them off.

"Is he interested in you?" Anbarad persisted bluntly, watching disinterestedly as she undid the cloak and pulled it free, folding it neatly over her arm, and shuffling stiffly past him into the parlor. The chill air always made her foot and leg more rigid and inflexible, and movement was more awkward.

"I have no reason to suppose he has any particular regard for me. He is pleasant and agreeable when he comes into the shop to do business. That is all."

With a sigh, her brother fixed her with a stern look, lecturing, "Esgalmir, how can you ever hope to secure a man if you will make no effort. Your prospects are limited enough, but if you will not even try there is little chance of your ever marrying. I am only interested in your welfare."

Her jaw tightened as she stared toward the window. _You are only interested in ridding yourself of this thorn in your side; of finding someone else to take care of me so you will not feel obligated to do so_, she thought bitterly. Steeling herself against the pain of this familiar argument, she turned with a strained smile and said, "I appreciate your concern, brother, and I will do all I can to encourage the young man if it will please you."

Before he could respond, she hobbled quickly from the room, almost in danger of falling due to her rush, and hurried to the solitude of her bedchamber. She hated this; hated being a woman at the mercy of men, especially someone so insensitive as her brother. He had become haughty, and proud of his position in society; and his disabled, unmarried sister was a vexation to him. What little help her work in the shop provided was not enough to compensate his feeling put upon for having to house, clothe and feed her, and he would gladly marry her off to any man who would have her, regardless of whether she even liked the man the tiniest bit.

She must be cautious; Theodred was an engaging person, and she must not allow Anbarad to corner him and pressure him into anything regarding her. She enjoyed his company, and in time she might even come to feel affection for him, but she would not allow her brother to force her upon anyone just so he could be rid of her. She had not told Theodred so, but she very well understood the inclination to find convenient, simple solutions to one's problems.

A soft knock at the door alerted her to the arrival of her maidservant with the hot water to soak her right foot and leg. With a sigh of resignation she moved to open the door and begin her nightly regime. The healers were not entirely certain as to the cause of her foot problems. The muscles had never fully developed properly, and tended to turn her foot inward. Most of her life she had worn heavy braces and suffered various treatments, but they were only temporary remedies at best, and somewhat painful. In truth, she sometimes preferred going without the brace, finding it easier and more comfortable to get about without it, even though the foot was not turned normally. At least it was not usually painful, and it was hidden beneath her dress. The brace rubbed against her knee, no matter how soft or thick the padding, and it was heavy enough to tire her if she moved about very much.

Once the water had been poured and the servant departed, Esgalmir eased her foot into the bath and settled back in the chair. It had been a very long evening, but she was glad she had gone, if only to talk with Theodred. She hoped he would be able to resolve this difficulty with Arawine and Kata that was causing him such unhappiness. While she herself had never known such a warm relationship within her own family, it always touched her heart to see it in others, and gave her hope.

Her eyes fell upon the songbird that was her one true friend. Some days she felt guilty keeping it caged, thinking it terribly selfish of her to deny it its freedom, yet she could not bring herself to part with that one tiny bit of cheer in this house. Her brother, and that cold fish he had married, avoided her as much as possible, which suited her just fine. Neither were particularly good company anyway, and for the most part when they did bother with her, they steered the conversation in the direction of how generous they were being to care and provide for her, and how grateful she should be. And they were not above foisting any manner of man at her in hopes of getting her married off. Only the fact that Esgalmir's disability was less than appealing played in her favor, and though she hated to do so, she made it as disgusting as possible when she found it necessary to discourage some of the rather revolting 'gentlemen' her brother presented to her.

A headache was building as she mulled these disagreeable thoughts and, since the water was cooling anyway, she dried her foot and leg, changed into her nightclothes and settled into her bed for the night. She let out another sigh. She would have to be very strong, indeed, lest she succumb to the temptation to give into that simple, convenient solution of one man from Rohan.

xx

The new year dawned cold and bright. The air off the Anduin was chilling, and Theodred found it was not unlike the frigid temperature of the Snowbourn blowing into Edoras during the winter months. Still, there was not so much snow here as they got farther to the north, and for that he was grateful.

He spent the week after Mettare organizing his thoughts about what he might like to do in the way of recording historical tales, and what might be done with them once he had recorded them. Esgalmir had mentioned the Minas Tirith archives and told him they were on the Fifth Level. It took some doing, but he had imposed upon Eldarion to get permission for him to visit there. Eldarion was not a particularly scholarly sort and was afraid he might be pressed to accompany him. Once he was reassured Theodred only wanted his assistance, not his presence, he was far more accommodating, and Theodred happily ventured forth to examine what records they had and how they were organized, to get some ideas. Minas Tirith had also set up a public library some years ago, though private libraries were more the norm, and he made use of that facility as well.

One day, he returned to the room he shared with Freahelm to find his friend busily working at the desk.

"Where did you get all of that?" Theodred asked, eyeing the pile of coins Freahelm was counting.

His friend shrugged, answering, "Since we are ensconced here at Mundburg for a time, I thought I might as well find some sort of gainful employment." Then, noticing Theodred's eyebrow raised in surprise, hastily added, "Something that would not interefere with my assisting you, of course."

"And?" Theodred prompted curiously.

"And stud services to a Rohan stallion are _always_ in demand, my friend. Even more than I realized. I have Faramir to thank for suggesting it, and telling me where I might post notices. Already Pyttewan is booked for the next month."

Theodred rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Tell you what – you and I both know there will not be a great deal for you to do in actually assisting me with this new venture, nor does it interest you greatly – bakeries notwithstanding." He paused to grin teasingly at Freahelm, then continued, "Offer Scildan also, do all the work, and we will split the fee equally. That adds to both our incomes, keeps you out of trouble, and you can make sure my horse is exercised regularly if we do not go riding."

It was a generous proposition, and one that could easily be taken advantage of if a man was dishonest. Freahelm was not such a man, and Theodred had no concern that he was.

"Deal," Freahelm nodded.

xx

"Theodred, come in!" King Elessar welcomed cordially. "I am sorry we have not had an opportunity to get together and speak before this."

Theodred grinned at the king and suggested, "Perhaps you have been a bit busy, my lord?"

Elessar chuckled, "No, I cannot think of anything that might have been occupying my time…" He waved Theodred to a chair, and moved to a refreshment stand to pour them each some hot tea.

Handing a cup to the younger man, he sat down and took a sip of his own, then said, "Faramir tells me you are working on some sort of history project. Tell me about it."

Enthusiastically Theodred launched into the various ideas he had been playing with, but admitted he didn't quite know what to do with them or how to make the best use of them. "I have gone to the Minas Tirith archives, and the history in general is well documented, as is the history of the kings. I am not sure anyone would read a history of the common folk, even if I were to write it, nor would private citizens likely buy it for their own library, so what purpose would it serve to write it?"

Elessar nodded his understanding, then replied, "Perhaps…I confess, I have a great love for history, as you do, and I do not like to think that many of these stories will be lost to time. But, as you have noted, the tales of the common people are often never known or retold, and certainly never recorded for posterity. I would like to commission you to prepare a collection of as many of those stories as you can – lifetales, if you will. Tales of Hobbits and Dwarves and Elves and whomever else you may meet, wherever you may find them and whatever their circumstances. I would like you to collect the stories from the Great War, but not the stories of the King, or Eomer or Theoden or the Ringbearer – the tales everyone already knows. Find the stories of the common man, of the healers, of the Ithilien rangers, of the Gondorian gate guard, of the mother in Rohan, of the sailor in Dol Amroth, of the child in Dale – what were their experiences, what valor did they see or show? You and I may be the only two people who will ever read this collection, but we will put it in the archives and we will know it is there for all time. I cannot guarantee you will be paid a great deal for this work, but I will get you what I can from my council."

Theodred's eyes were alight now with more ideas tumbling through his mind as he considered the king's proposal. "Yes…" he murmured, "and I could illustrate some of it also." His eyes came back into focus and a brilliant grin split his face, "Thank you, my lord! I am most appreciative of your consideration and help!"

"I am happy to be a party to this, Theodred. Do keep me apprised of your progress, and let me know if you need anything from me to further your cause – letters of introduction or such to pave the way. I can perhaps point you to some people to consider interviewing. Faramir likely can introduce you to his former rangers – I am sure they have many a tale to tell. And with winter upon us, if you just walk about Minas Tirith and look for the elderly, you likely will find those who remember the War – that will be a good place to begin. Ioreth is long retired from the Houses of Healings, but I understand she is still with us and living in a boarding house here in the City. Faramir may be able to locate her, or perhaps someone at the Houses knows – I have heard her mind is still strong and alert. She could share many a tale from those days, I am sure."

He rose reluctantly. "I am sorry. I do have to get back to work. Will you join us for supper some evening? And bring Freahelm with you?"

Theodred stood and nodded. "I will. Send word when it is convenient for you, my lord and we will come. And thank you again. I am most grateful!"

Elessar pulled the young man into an embrace with a chuckle. "I am grateful for the opportunity to do something I choose rather than something my council insists upon, for a change. No doubt they will balk at this, and quarrel with me about it. I am looking forward to a good fight! Thank _you_ for that!"

xx

One thing was certain, if you wished to have doors opened to you in Minas Tirith all you needed was to be related to Lord Faramir. The citizens of the city adored the man, and not just because he was their Steward. Even all these years after the reign of the Stewards had ended, their fondness for Denethor's youngest son had not lessened in the slightest. No doubt part of that was largely due to the fact that he was generally an exceptionally fine man in his own right, but beyond his own favorable traits and characteristics, he had served this city well and faithfully his entire life, and she had never forgotten him. In many ways he was more beloved than their king, and though Elessar was well aware of this fact, he did not begrudge it in the slightest, on occasion even feeling the same about the man he called friend in private. Faramir was indeed rare.

And owing to that fact, there was no one that would deny Theodred an audience when they learned he was Faramir's nephew. They opened right up and told him anything he wished to know, and more. They plied him with cakes and tea, and most would have had him married off to their granddaughters by nightfall, given half a chance, just so they could be related to their beloved Steward.

Freahelm drew a more fortunate duty in interviewing retired healers, though even a few of the older healers still consulted in the Houses and were happy to have an ear to bend with tales of their long careers. These citizens were less likely to offer food or marriage partners, and their tales were perhaps a little drier, but if handled carefully, Freahelm could get through several in a day, whereas Theodred sometimes remained sequestered in one house an entire morning or afternoon and managed only one or two.

Feeling the need of a break, after a month of these, Theodred decided to catch a boat to Dol Amroth for awhile, and do some interviewing there. Since their stallions were scheduled for breeding, it was decided Freahelm would remain behind with their horses and Theodred would go without him. Elboron had agreed to make the trip with him, though his cousin had drawn the line at helping Theodred with the interviews. Privately, he hadn't entirely ruled out the possibility of changing Elboron's mind on that subject somewhere down the road. The two set sail from the Harlond just as February was beginning.

With even more free time on his hands, Freahelm seemed to naturally gravitate more and more to the bakery. Finally, with him hanging around so much, Gimilzor began putting him to work doing odd jobs, mostly the heavy tasks that were too much for his daughters. He was happily paid with fresh, hot, cinnamon rolls!

Gimilzor had gradually warmed up to the affable young man, and found that he enjoyed having another man around to talk with on occasion. It might be that nothing would ever come of it, but certainly for the moment, the man of Rohan was obviously interested in his eldest daughter. And though she blushed and averted her eyes a great deal, he was persuaded Belwen was much taken with Freahelm also. The only question was: what would happen when the young man returned home? Gimilzor couldn't bear to think of parting with his daughter. He wasn't sure he could manage the bakery with just his youngest daughter, Thandwen, and he couldn't quite afford to hire anyone. Yet, he could not stand in the way of his daughter finding happiness either. It was just, he had always assumed his daughters would marry men of Gondor.

Knowing that Theodred was gone from the city, Belwen worked up her courage to invite Freahelm to join them for supper, which he gladly accepted. It concerned her that he might find their home unacceptably humble after the grandeur of the Steward's residence, but as he told of his life as the son of the Captain of the King's Guard, it was soon evident that his own roots were quite humble as well, and that he did not look down his nose on their circumstances.

By the time Theodred returned to Mundburg in mid-March, he found more in bloom than just the wildflowers on the Pelennor. If Freahelm wasn't smitten with the baker's daughter, Theodred would walk back to Edoras barefoot. Of course, it really was difficult to tell, considering how much time he had been spending at the bakery before Theodred went to Dol Amroth, but Theodred had recently spent far too much time in this man's company not to be able to read him well. That was the giddiest grin he'd ever seen him wear, and there could be no other cause than a pretty blond with occasional smudges of flour on her cheeks!

The realization caused both a pang of happiness for his friend, and a good measure of envy. It almost seemed as if he was destined to live his life alone. All around him everyone was finding love except for him. Was there something wrong with him that made it so much more difficult for him? Arawine and Kata flashed through his mind, and he gave a heavy sigh. Perhaps until he resolved that, he could never truly be happy. While that weighed upon him, his heart and mind would always be preoccupied.

She should be coming soon. Arawine would be eager to see her, and he was certain Kata would make the trip as soon as travel was feasible. All he had to do was figure out what to say to them when he saw them.

**TBC **

**6-20-06 **

**_A/N2: Points of reference: in the year 45 IV, sometime during the year these people will become this age: _**

**_Freahelm, 27; Theodred, 22; Belwen, 23; Thandwen, 19; Esgalmir, 26 _**

**_What exactly is wrong with Esgalmir's foot? Something along the lines of a clubfoot, though probably a mild version of that. I don't intend to get very specific beyond that. _**

**_Pyttewan – "dark hawk" (pyttel – hawk, wann – dark) _**

**_Scildan – "shield, protect" _**

**_Thandwen – "shield maiden" (in Sindarin) _**

**_Mettarë – The last day of the year_**


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: I seem to have picked up steam! I finish one chapter and think I'm done for awhile, then something comes to me on the drive home and I have the next chapter and so it goes – slowly. I'm still jumping ahead and writing bits and pieces, but at least I'm keeping on top of the "here and now" fairly well also, so you are getting the chapters a little more often than once a week (or longer). Hopefully, that will continue. I do still have a few tricks up my sleeve as to where this is going, though, so stay tuned!**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 13 (begins March, 45 IV)**

"G'night, Freahelm," the three men said, making their way toward the door, and he raised his hand in salute as he drained the last few swallows of his ale. This particular tavern was a bit more disreputable than the sort he usually patronized, but when the stablehands he was working with during the breeding session had invited him to join them for an early supper, he had allowed them to choose their destination. Wiping his mouth, he tossed a few coins on the table and rose, but didn't make it farther than a couple of tables before he was halted by an exchange in a booth he was passing.

"Com' on over here a little closer," Erduin said, grabbing her waist and sliding her up against him.

Thandwen stiffened in panic. He had never behaved like this with her before, and she was not sure how to act. Pleadingly, she told him, "No, please, I want to go home!"

"Home? The night is still young!" He roughly shoved her hair away from her neck and pressed his lips to her throat as a whimper escaped her, and tears slid down her cheeks.

She twisted her face away from him, just as a male voice commented firmly, "The lady said she wanted to leave." Freahelm had been departing when he overheard the conversation, but he was not about to walk away and abandon a woman in distress.

The man released his hold on the girl, who scooted hastily away from him, and glared up at the intruder. "I'd say it ain't none of your business. Move on!"

He went to reach for his victim again, but Freahelm caught him by the throat and lifted him bodily from his seat. Threateningly he replied, "I am making it my business." As he hissed the words, his eyes flicked to the girl who had looked up in alarm. _Thandwen! What on earth was she doing here with such a man?_

His eyes twitched back to the girl's assailant, but just at that moment Thandwen gave what turned out to be a warning scream. The man apparently had a friend, who Freahelm never saw coming. The second one snuck up behind him, and struck him over the head with a heavy wooden platter several times. The two men stood gazing at his bleeding head then, panicking, they bolted from the inn before anyone could react to the attack. Recovering herself slightly, Thandwen launched herself at Freahelm, shaking him, and becoming hysterical when he did not waken.

She finally made herself understood enough to tell onlookers that he was a friend of the Steward. That rallied some men to assist her and a rag was pressed to his bleeding head. Then several men agreed to carry Freahelm to Gimilzor's house, which was on this same level and not far away.

Gimilzor was still up, reading by the fire and waiting for his youngest to return home. Belwen had turned in early with a head cold, but was quickly roused as she was the most skilled at healing in their household. Freahelm had been laid in Gimilzor's bed, and at the sight of his bloodied head, Belwen visibly paled, but then set to work. She was greatly relieved to find that it was not so serious as it first appeared, but no doubt he would have a considerable headache come morning.

"What happened, child?" their father implored of Thandwen.

Tearfully, Thandwen confessed, "We...we did not go to The Seven Bells for supper as planned. Erduin took me to another place instead..."

Her voice dropped so low that her father barely caught the name of the other tavern, and when he did, he gave a gasp. "What on earth were you thinking, Thandwen? That is no place for a young lady! He should never have taken you there!"

"I know!" she wailed. "I thought I would be safe with him...but...he has never acted so before. He became very...forward. And he tried to...kiss me..."

Her father's face had gone very pale, and then very red with anger, and she hastily added, "But then Freahelm came and made him leave me alone. But another man snuck up on him and hit him over the head. And then they both ran off. When I said Freahelm was a friend of the Steward, some of the men helped me bring him here."

Gimilzor sighed. "At least in that you did the right thing. Ah, Thandwen, how could you be so foolish?"

"Will he die?" Thandwen asked, beginning to weep.

"No," Belwen answered firmly from the bed, tying off the bandage she had wrapped around Freahelm's head. "His head will hurt, but he will live." Then more softly she added, "I will make certain of it." Finishing with the bandage, she let her hand rest for a moment on his chest, then stood and removed his boots, pulled the covers from beneath him and got them over him, and shooed her family out of the room, dimming the lamp before she followed.

Fortunately, Gimilzor had not undressed for the night and he now drew on his cloak. "I will return shortly. I must let them know where he is so they will not worry."

Once he was gone, Belwen eyed her sister, finally saying quietly, "Get to bed."

Nodding, the girl turned to their shared room, then paused and whispered sorrowfully, "I truly am sorry, Belwen. I would not have Freahelm hurt for anything."

"I know," Belwen replied, then slowly moved over and gave her sister a hug, pulling her close. "I am glad you are safe, and that he was there."

"Belwen?"

"Yes?"

"He did not know it was me – when he came to my aid. Not until he already was helping did he learn it was me. He is a good man."

"Yes, he is. He is a very good man."

"Good night."

"Good night, Thandwen."

Gimilzor had not resented for a moment giving his bed to this young man who had prevented tragedy from befalling his youngest daughter, even if it meant a poor night's sleep on the couch. Nor was he about to object to the amount of time his elder daughter had spent at the young man's bedside, anxiously watching over him through the night. This was an honorable man; he had no need to fear any impropriety on his part.

As it was, Freahelm did not rouse until mid-morning anyway. It made things difficult, but Gimilzor could not bring himself to draw Belwen away to work until they were sure he was out of danger, so she remained behind while he and Thandwen went off to the shop. Once he was awake, and had taken some broth, Freahelm had insisted he could manage on his own, and she should go help them. Even so, she promised to come check on him during the day, though he assured her that Theodred would likely come by, and if he felt able he would return home so as to relieve her of the burden of his care. She had mixed emotions about that, but understood his reasoning and that his concern was for her.

As he had surmised, Theodred turned up before dinnertime, letting himself in through the unlocked door.

"This is new!" he announced teasingly, sauntering into the bedchamber and grinning broadly at his friend. "I have never known _you_ to get into a tavern brawl before!"

"I did _not_ get into a tavern brawl," Freahelm asserted, pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead in a vain attempt to ease the headache pounding there.

"Indeed?" Theodred asked, plunking down on the side of the bed. "So this was an accident, then? A lamp fell from the wall, perhaps, and struck you in the head?"

Freahelm let out a groan of irritation. "How much must I pay you to make you go away?" He slid down in the bed, and reached toward the night table for the wet cloth Belwen had left there.

Theodred beat him to it, and handed it over, saying sincerely, "Sorry. Shall I send for a healer?"

"No," Freahelm sighed. "Belwen likely has done all that can be done. I just have to mend is all."

"What happened?" Theodred asked quietly, this time truly wanting to know.

"Thandwen made an ill-advised visit to an inn with a poor choice of companion. I interceded and the man's friend came at me from behind. It could have been worse. At least she was unharmed."

"Lucky for her that you were there."

"Very lucky – and only accidental, as I never go in that place usually." He opened his eyes. "Will you come back later this afternoon and help me get home? I may be able to manage it by then."

"Of course. I will bring Elboron with me, just in case."

Theodred had left when Belwen turned up to fix Freahelm some dinner, though he confessed he wasn't up to eating much. In the end, he did manage some broth and a dry roll, before lying down once more, lulled to sleep by the sound of Belwen humming as she cleaned the dishes.

When next he woke, Theodred had returned several hours later with Elboron, and bringing a potion from the healers that they'd said might help the headache. They gave it time to work, and when it did seem to have eased the pain in his head a bit, the trio set off for the Sixth Level. It was slow going, and they made frequent use of the benches along the way so Freahelm could rest, but at length they made it to the Steward's house, and got him undressed and into his own bed.

Suspecting she might be reluctant to come visit, Theodred ventured out after supper and escorted Belwen back, though the rest of the family came also. Both Thandwen and Gimilzor wanted the opportunity to thank Freahelm for protecting her, and then leaving the bedchamber door open, they left Belwen to visit with him for a moment alone.

Feeling more awkward than she ever before had with him, finally she asked, "How are you feeling? Has the head eased any?"

They were rather impersonal questions, but she couldn't think of anything else to say at the moment. Without realizing it, her fingers began running lightly over where his hand lay on the bedcovers. Up until now, he had avoided most physical contact with her because it always seemed to make her uncomfortable. His own family was a very warm group that often had their arms around one another, and so it felt perfectly natural for him to embrace others. And doing so was rather commonplace in the Mark. But he had discovered that Gondor was much more reserved about such things, and he had to consciously restrain himself from taking her hand, touching her arm or hugging her close on more than one occasion. This was the first time she had initiated any sort of contact with him, and he did not want to do anything that might dissuade her from continuing the gesture.

With husky voice, he answered, "It is a bit better. The healers sent me something that seems to have helped."

"Good." Then, quite naturally, her fingers intertwined with his, and she smiled. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You are welcome," he replied, equally softly, then added, "and thank you for caring for me."

"You are also welcome."

The spell was broken when her father cleared his throat from the door, though reluctant to do so. "We should go, Belwen, and let him rest."

"Yes, Father. Of course."

"Will you come again?" Freahelm asked hopefully.

With a grin, she questioned, "Has your appetite returned at all?"

He nodded slightly. "Yes, somewhat. Why?"

"I know a bakery that makes the most delicious cinnamon rolls..." she teased.

xx

It took several days for Freahelm to truly be up and around. The headaches plagued him for a few days beyond that, but the healers' potion stood him in good stead and allowed him to be somewhat functional. The man who had attacked him had been identified and brought to justice, and with Freahelm being a friend of the Steward, there was no shortage of witnesses to the attack.

Theodred was pleased to have him recovered and so obviously happy. Any reticence on Belwen's part seemed to have been melted away by the attack, and Freahelm's defense of her sister. While no formal betrothal was yet in place, and he had not asked for her hand, Theodred felt certain it was only a matter of time.

_Time._ They were nearing the end of March, so surely Kata would be coming through Minas Tirith soon on her way to Edoras, and he was no closer to knowing what to say to her than before. Further, he was undecided whether to speak with her here, and then travel with her to Edoras and speak to Arawine there, or go to Edoras and speak to Arawine first. While he pondered what course to pursue, he remained stalled in inaction.

In the meantime, Esgalmir had been his sounding board on ideas for how to manage the various interviews that had already been collected. He was hesitant to bind them, since he did not yet know how he wanted to organize them until more had been gathered. To that end, Esgalmir indicated that there was a bindery connected with the archives on the Fifth Level, and she agreed to accompany him there and introduce him to a man she had met on several occasions. She thought perhaps he could offer some worthwhile suggestions for Theodred to consider.

They had just left the man's office and were making their way back to the stationer's shop, when they rounded a corner and Theodred came up short, drawing a quick, sharp breath at the sight of a man that resembled him rather closely. For a moment, the two men stood some fifty paces apart, staring hard at one another, and Esgalmir eyed them curiously. Then it occurred to her who this was**_ –_** "Twin".

She recognized the couple with the other man as Prince Eldarion and his wife Luthiel, and both stood uncertainly watching the two young men. It was evident they were aware of the difficulty between them and were not sure how to proceed. It appeared everyone was frozen in place, and would simply stand there and stare unless someone took the first step.

Slowly Esgalmir let her hand come up and rest upon Theodred's shoulder. Softly she encouraged, "Put this to rest. Talk to him, Theodred."

Her words seemed to have almost a magical effect on him. Tears began to stream down his face and he let out a pain-filled gasp. Striding hurriedly forward, he quickly closed the gap and pulled his nephew into a strong, warm embrace, that was immediately returned. "Forgive me, Ara! I have been such a fool! But I wish you both nothing but happiness! I swear it!"

Arawine gripped him tighter, weeping freely himself and mumbled, "You idiot! Of course, I forgive you! We both do!"

The two stood there in the middle of the street for quite some time, causing many curious looks from passersby. When finally they separated, it suddenly occurred to Theodred that Esgalmir was gone, but then he realized he shouldn't be surprised by that. Likely she understood that he would need to spend time with Arawine, and that she should go on without him. He would thank her later.

Eldarion and Luthiel had moved on also. The twins were reunited. They did not need or desire others' company just now. They had much to talk over.

_**TBC**_

_**6-20-06**_

_**Thandwen is 19 in 45 IV**_

_**Erduin – "lone river"**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Well, I have through ch 16 written (though I'm still tweaking - but then I do that even after I post them). Some of you are pretty good at guessing certain elements of the storyline. Unfortunately, I won't be more specific than that!**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 14 (begins March, 45 IV)**

"Well, at least I suppose we may assume they have resolved their differences," Freahelm commented, biting into some toast at breakfast.

Arawine and Theodred had disappeared into Arawine's room at the King's House after their reunion in the street the previous day, and not been seen since. Servants had taken them supper, but Theodred had not returned to the Steward's house, and Freahelm was willing to bet the two had stayed up all night talking. He had considered taking some fresh clothing to his friend, but he had known the twins too long to think Theodred wouldn't just turn up wearing something of Arawine's, so he didn't bother with it.

Faramir glanced up at the comment and smiled. "Yes, I think that much is true, and I am very pleased to see it. Boromir and I were that close, and I know what anguish it would have brought me to be at odds with him for so long a time."

As Freahelm excused himself from the table, Eowyn teased, "You did not eat very much."

The young man grinned. "Perhaps I will seek more later!"

Eowyn let out a hearty laugh, knowing full well exactly what he had in mind. "Well, _if_ you do, give my regards to Gimilzor and Belwen!"

Freahelm tossed off a salute of affirmation and jauntily strolled from the room to the sound of the Steward's chuckles. Once outside, he paused briefly to breathe deeply of the spring air, then turned eagerly toward the gate to the lower levels and a certain bakery of which he was particularly fond.

Freahelm's assessment had been accurate – the twins had stayed up most of the night talking and clearing the air between them. In the wee hours, they had at last fallen asleep, not to awaken until late morning, when they finally washed and ventured forth. As it was really almost dinnertime anyway, they decided to combine both breakfast and dinner into one meal, and since Theodred was eager to introduce Arawine to Esgalmir, he suggested taking her to dinner with them.

Because he had slept in his own clothes, which were also a bit stale, he borrowed something from Arawine and the two set out for the Fourth Level and Anbarad's stationery shop. Elbragol greeted them as they entered, but knew that Theodred preferred conducting business with Esgalmir and summoned her from the back.

Whenever he was in the shop, Esgalmir always maintained a very reserved manner with him, which Theodred was careful to emulate, so he couched the invitation to dinner in formal terms. "Lady Esgalmir, as our business yesterday was interrupted by the arrival of my nephew, I was wondering if you might be available to discuss matters further over dinner today? I will be leaving the city to travel to Edoras soon, so I am rather short on time."

She paused ever so slightly, then nodded. "Of course, my lord. Reaching behind the counter for a tablet of paper and pencil, she moved to get her cloak, though Theodred hastened to assist her with it, and offered his arm as they made their way to the door which Arawine was holding. Glancing back, Esgalmir said, "Elbragol, I may be a bit longer than usual over dinner, depending on how much time our business takes to conclude."

He nodded his understanding as the trio departed the shop.

Once they were in the street, Esgalmir glanced up at Arawine with a smile and asked, "So, you are the infamous 'twin', I take it?"

Arawine threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Whatever he has told you, believe only half of it! I am not nearly so bad as he would claim!" Then leaning closer, he chuckled, "And I demand equal time for storytelling!"

Tugging firmly at her hand to draw her along, Theodred commented, "None of that, nephew! The lady is not interested in any of your lies about me! And just remember, I have not told your pretty little bride-to-be even the tiniest part of what I know about you…_yet_! You might wish to give me _reason_ to keep my mouth shut!"

Esgalmir could not restrain her laughter at the two. "I am very pleased to meet you Arawine. I can see why the two of you are called twins, for indeed you are very much alike – and you are both quite adorable! Now then, stop your silly little game of trying to outdo one another and feed me! I am famished." It surprised her how easy she felt with the two of them, but Theodred had never been difficult to talk openly with, and his relationship with Arawine was such that she felt free to jest with them.

Arawine raised an eyebrow in astonishment, then turned to his uncle and exclaimed, "But she looks so refined! Wherever do you find these women, Theo? First Kata, and now Esgalmir! You do have a talent for discovering the most intriguing women!"

Theodred shrugged modestly. "It is a gift, what more can I say? Still, we had best do as she says. Even intriguing women get cranky when they are hungry."

Laughing together, the three made their way into The Seven Bells and found a secluded table, where they whiled away almost an hour talking and enjoying one another's company. They would have remained longer, but a messenger found them there, sent by Eldarion from the Citadel, to inform them that the party from Dale was arriving at the docks this very afternoon, and should be there shortly. Instantly, Arawine was on his feet and moving toward the door, almost forgetting his companions in his anxiousness to see Kata again.

Theodred shook his head in mock dismay. "The boy is hopelessly lost! Such a shocking display of ill manners!"

"Hush! He is in love! Leave him alone," Esgalmir chastized, to Theodred's delight.

He paused a moment, then wheedled, "I do not suppose you have time to come to the docks with us, to meet the boat? There is, after all, still much business that we never got around to discussing over dinner..."

Esgalmir hesitated. She knew she should get back to work, though it was an inviting offer to sneak away for part of the afternoon. On the other hand, she could not walk or ride that far, and there was no real reason to be going.

Almost as if he guessed her warring thoughts, Theodred argued in favor of her going, "We will be taking carriages down as it is too far to walk, and there will be those in the party that need conveying back. And we will not be gone that long, only an hour or so. Plus, I do wish to speak with you about a few matters before I leave the city. That was no pretense. Please come with us. I would very much like for you to meet Kata, and it is a beautiful day for an outing."

For once in her life, she gave in to a whim and said yes.

Eldarion had already organized the carriages, sending them down toward the docks, and one had been instructed to keep an eye out for Arawine and Theodred along the way. It met them just as they left the tavern, which spared Esgalmir having to walk very far.

Arawine's excitement was almost tangible, and Theodred teased him relentlessly about perhaps preferring to get out and run since the carriage was moving so slowly through the streets. He looked very surprised when Esgalmir reached over and gave his leg an extremely hard pinch, and for an instant she blushed, fearing she had overstepped the bounds of propriety, but he just grinned sheepishly at her, and instantly she knew he had taken it in the spirit it was intended.

Once they reached the Harlond, Arawine was out of the carriage, and off in search of his beloved, despite every evidence that the boat had not yet docked. While he paced agitatedly about, Theodred guided Esgalmir to a scenic spot in the shade, and they settled on a bench to wait.

"May I ask you something?" Esgalmir queried, gazing out over the water, and soaking up the sights around her.

"Certainly," Theodred responded readily.

"Most gentlemen offer their right arm to a lady, presumably because they are right-handed and wear their sword on their left hip." Theodred nodded his agreement to this assessment, and she continued, "But you always offer your left arm to me. Why is that? I have seen you offer your right to others."

He grinned. "I thought it was obvious. You favor your right leg, so I assumed you would wish me on your right side to give you something secure to hold onto there."

She blushed and lowered her eyes, murmuring with embarrassment, "Most people are not so observant."

He shrugged, explaining, "My eldest brother, Arawine's father, lost his hand in an accident when he was about my age. I grew up being expected to be observant, and to act accordingly so as to help him function normally. There are some things he cannot do for himself, but most things he has found other ways of accomplishing, and we take little notice of his missing hand most of the time."

She found herself staring at him, wondering what it must be like to have a family such as that, who focused on what you could do rather than on what you could not, as hers did. Even her parents had made her feel 'damaged' and 'less' because of her imperfect foot and leg. She had a feeling that had she grown up in Theodred's family, she might never have truly noticed she was different.

He did not miss the sadness in her eyes, and his jaw tightened. He had met her brother, and seen the lack of regard shown her. He could guess that she was not accorded the same sort of courtesy at home that Elfwine had enjoyed.

Changing the subject abruptly, she asked, "When will you be returning to Minas Tirith?"

"I am not certain how long I will stay at home. It will be good to see my family again, and I may take the opportunity to do some interviewing there while I can."

She gave a small laugh, saying, "I shall have to be sure to read your book when it is finished so I may learn about Rohan, and all these other places and people of which you write."

He chuckled, and observed, "You may well be the only person interested in reading my stories!"

"How else may I see these places?" she asked quietly, almost of herself, and he was drawn up short by the question for which he had no answer.

"Have you never traveled...at all?" he queried.

"I have never been outside the city gates, until today," she confessed. Then giving him a too bright smile, added, "See, there is a first time for everything!" She was relieved by a shout from Arawine indicating the boat was sighted, and they turned their attention to watching it pull into the mooring, but Theodred was to discover this conversation would stay with him a very long time.

Since Esgalmir had never been to the docks before, they moved closer so she could better observe the boat coming in and being unloaded. There were few passengers other than the visitors from Dale. King Darf was accompanying his daughter again, as was Gird, but once more Fritha had chosen to remain behind. She was now betrothed to the young nobleman from Lake-town, and was eagerly planning her wedding for later in the summer.

It took awhile for Arawine to finish his enthusiastic greeting and allow Kata to take notice of anyone else. Introductions were made to Esgalmir, and then Kata was face to face with Theodred, eyeing him cautiously. That he was here with Arawine, and seeming as though nothing had ever happened must be considered a good sign, but she still was at a loss to know what to say or how to react to him.

Wanting to put her at ease, he made the first overture. Stepping forward, he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her head, whispering, "I am so very sorry for hurting you, Kata. But I do wish you every happiness with Arawine. Please forgive me my foolishness."

She clung tightly to him, answering fervently, "Of course! You know I will always adore you, dearest Theodred!"

Arawine gave them a few moments, then shoved his face in between theirs and whispered loudly, "You two are not getting ideas about changing your minds again, are you?"

The three of them broke up laughing, and Theodred questioned Kata, "Why exactly was it you preferred him over me, if I may ask?"

xxxxx

The large party set out for Edoras in early April. Theodred was pleased that Freahelm had been able to clear Scildan of the breeding schedule so that he could use him for the trip home. He had not been looking forward to another mount for the journey, too accustomed to his familiar friend beneath him. Freahelm was remaining in the city, with mixed emotions. While he was pleased to stay with Belwen, and had responsibilities helping in the bakery and handling the breeding to Pyttewan, he was sorry to miss the opportunity to see his family.

One thing he did do, however, was make Theodred promise to stop in and check on Hyrde, Fetige and the children along the way, something Theodred was not at all reluctant to do, eager to see them again himself. And when the visit was actually made, Theodred could only shake his head with disbelief. It turned out his soft-hearted friend had seen to it that far more than a few goods to see the family through the winter made their way to the cottage door.

Freahelm had served in an eored in the Eastmark before embarking on these travels with Theodred, so he was well acquainted with quite a number of soldiers in various eoreds in that part of the country, including the one stationed at Aldburg. When the pair had returned there last November to pick up a few things, along with the sword, Freahelm had enlisted his friends to keep an eye on Hyrde's family, and had asked them to occasionally take needed items by to them, keeping a tally of any expenses and he would reimburse them the cost when next he saw them! Now it appeared the family had practically been adopted by the entire eored, who stopped by to check on them regularly and visit, bringing a deer on occasion, or a sack of flour, helping out where needed, and in general making it well known that they would be very displeased if any harm came to their friends. It was very unlikely Freahelm would ever be handed a tally of expenses for reimbursement. The lot of them were as tender hearted as Freahelm was! And Theodred wrote the whole thing down before they moved on the next day.

Ah, but it was good to be home, truly home this time. A home where there was peace, and he was not at odds with his dearest friend. But oddly enough, this time, home felt different. Maybe he had changed after everything that had happened. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, this difference, but still, he was not quite so content here as he had always been before. It seemed there was more he had to do; there were places he needed to go – out there. In a strange sort of way, he almost felt as if he was back where he started two years ago, when he and Freahelm first rode out to have a look at Middle Earth. His life was still rather unsettled, though he supposed he had a bit more direction to it now. He had thought he had found love, but discovered he had a lot of growing to do in that area. He had seen Middle Earth, and now he was realizing he hadn't really seen it very well at all, and needed to take a closer look. Nothing was the same, and nothing was as he had expected, and he had no idea where he was going, still.

But he did have a few definite ideas of what he wanted. He did want to tell these stories, even if only a few people heard them. He did want to write them, so they were not lost, even if no one read them. He did want to share his awe of history and people with others, and he would find some way to do that, whatever it took.

And he wanted...to find a way to free Esgalmir. She had helped him so very much, likely more than she knew, and he could never repay that. There was one thing he could think of that might – might – be something, but how to go about it without offending, or being inappropriate. Gondor society was so much trickier than here in Rohan. One could not simply do something nice for a friend, especially with her brother around. But he would have to find a way to make it work. She deserved his best effort, and now that he was home he had the perfect opportunity.

There was a rustle of fabric and he looked up, smiling at his mother. Lothiriel came to sit beside him, staring at the sunset from the bench in her garden. "It is good to have you home, dearest, and at peace."

He slid an arm around her waist and laid his head against hers. "It is wonderful, on both counts." For a moment, the two sat silently, and then he confided, "Mother, there is a woman in Gondor. Her name is Esgalmir and we became friends early on. I had occasion to tell her about the situation with Arawine and Kata. It was her – she did not tell me anything different than what you did, but somehow it made a difference all the same."

"Then I am glad you met her and told her your problem and, someday, I should like to meet her. Now, it is time for supper, and we are all eager to hear your tales of Gondor." Rising, they went inside, arm in arm.

TBC

6-21-06


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: Hot weather and life have bogged me down a bit, so I haven't done much writing. That plus the progress I thought I was making on ch. 17 slowed down when Tracey said I had to fix what I had already written – grumble, grumble, grumble! Ah well, it's probably better for her observations, and hopefully I can get back to it soon, thus staying one step ahead.**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 15 (begins April, 45 IV)**

Eothain was surprised. Theodred was home; Freahelm was in Gondor. Never one to beat around the bush, he turned up just after breakfast in the Golden Hall, and cast a baleful eye on his son's friend and, up until now, traveling companion.

With a grin, Theodred rose from the table, reading the meaning behind the look, and followed the man outside to the terrace. The two settled on the steps of Meduseld, and after several minutes, Eothain asked good-naturedly, but curiously, "Well, did you lose him in a game of chance, or what?"

Theodred laughed and shook his head. "No. I tried, but no one was willing to take my wager for fear they would win him!" He paused. "The explanation would be better coming from Freahelm, but he has met a young lady and I think it is serious. That is part of the reason he stayed. Also, he has been using Pyttewan for breeding, to have an income while we are there, and he was booked. Freahelm might have torn himself away from the lady to come home for a visit, but he could not walk away from his obligations."

Eothain nodded approval of that. "Very well, then. I will wait for him to tell me more." They sat in silence a bit longer, and then he asked, "This girl – what is she like?"

Theodred grinned. "Actually, she has Rohirric blood and is flaxen-haired! She is very nice; a baker's daughter. She suits him well. I think you will approve of her."

"A baker's daughter? Well, hardly a surprise there, eh?" Eothain chuckled. "The boy was sure to find a woman who could cook!"

The two spent the next hour talking about the past few months Freahelm and Theodred had spent in Minas Tirith. By the time they parted company, Theodred had arranged to get together further with Eothain to do some interviews for his stories, both personal ones about Theodred's parents and ones about Eothain's own life experiences.

Theodred found he was seeing his home with new eyes. People he had observed his entire life – shopkeepers, farmers, soldiers, elderly, servants – all seemed different to him now that he looked at them and wondered what their 'story' was. Some seemed a bit wary when he began asking them questions about their lives, but gradually they began to understand that he was truly interested in hearing about them, and they warmed up to the telling. He filled page after page with the details.

And what amazed him even more was when he thought to talk directly with his parents about their lives. They told him things he had never imagined, and discovered that they felt many things that he felt, had experienced things he had, that their lives had not been so very different than his own as he had always assumed.

Shortly after they arrived at Edoras, Arawine and Kata's betrothal was formally announced. That had been greatly celebrated, and the two were thrilled to be back together again after some five months of separation during the winter, with poor communication. They spent nearly every waking moment together. In times past, it had been Theodred constantly at Arawine's side both night and day, but he found he did not resent being supplanted. In fact, he became so wrapped up in his work that he often did not take much notice of anything else unless his family purposely distracted him for a time. Only because it was evident that he was not consciously avoiding the happy couple did they not attempt to go out of their way to include him. He was always welcome whenever an occasion presented itself, but if he disappeared they did not chase him down, and they took him at his word that he had work to do.

To a certain extent, both Theodred and Arawine were sorry that their relationship was not quite so close as it had once been, but both realized that it would have had to change eventually. They would marry and go their separate paths; that was the way of life. It did not mean they no longer cared deeply for one another, only that they no longer could spend so much time together as they previously had. They had grown up and it was time to move on with their lives.

Unexpectedly, there were several new developments while Theodred was in Edoras. He had never fully discussed his plans with his parents, since most of them had come to him since his departure the previous fall, but after relaying the commission that King Elessar had given him, his father had suggested that he also prepare a series of illustrated childrens' books on various subjects. Eomer recommended ones on the Ring War, on the various races of Middle Earth, on occupations, on historical sites and so forth, that teachers could use with their pupils. He even offered to fund such a venture, and that set the wheels turning in Theodred's mind all over again with the many possibilities.

He also discovered that Arawine had learned to puppeteer, and bought some marionettes while in Dale. Theodred wrote a few scripts, dusted off his own marionettes, and after he had regained the skill of using them, the three of them began doing some shows once more, with both the old and new scripts Theodred had prepared. Theodred found that yielded yet another outlet for his storytelling penchant, particularly when utilizing Kata's puppets of the Rohan royals.

During the winter, Theomund had secretly been working on a new set of full puppets, not just heads, and at the betrothal he gifted them to Kata so she was able to add marionettes of both her and Arawine to her collection, giving her a complete set of the living royal line.

xx

As much as he was enjoying being home, by mid-June, when the party from Dale was to head home, Theodred was ready to depart as well. He was surprised by how much he had missed Minas Tirith and his friends there, and was looking forward to seeing them again, though it was still difficult to part from his family.

Arawine was riding with them, and would be continuing on to Dale with Kata's family, to stay there until they returned for their wedding in the fall. It was all the more reason that Theodred was glad he had made peace with the couple now.

Before the group departed, Elfwine led a small mare forward and handed her lead rope to his brother. "Aenlic should be just what you are looking for, Theodred. I trained her myself, and made certain she would be particularly responsive as you wanted, though I am still not certain how you expect to do this. Gondor is very sticky about protocol, you know."

"I know," Theodred sighed. "I have not quite worked that out yet, but at least I will have her there when I do. Thank you for your trouble in this. I do appreciate it."

And then they were ready to leave. Arawine's escort took the lead and started them underway, and last farewells were given. The trip proved uneventful and they arrived in Minas Tirith on Midyear's Day. The group headed for Dale was to rest a few days before continuing on, and King Elessar saw them settled as his guests for the duration.

Theodred returned to stay with the Steward and was greeted warmly by his family and Freahelm, both of whom were eager to hear news from Rohan. They were up late that night, sharing all the goings on in both places, and though Faramir and Eowyn had planned to depart for Emyn Arnen the next day, they decided to linger long enough to celebrate Arawine's betrothal before going.

The next morning, Eowyn cornered Theodred before he left after breakfast and inquired about the extra horse he had brought back with him. Looking mildly embarrassed, he explained Esgalmir's situation of never having left the city until she went to the docks with him, and how hampered she was by her bad leg. He had thought that if she learned to ride, on a well-trained Rohirric horse, that it would afford her some freedom to move about as she wished.

Eowyn considered his words then stated the obvious, "You do understand that this is Gondor, not Rohan. If you gift her with a horse, Theodred, it will be taken as a proposal of marriage. Gondorians do not take such acts lightly."

He sighed, "I know. I am still considering that part. Perhaps I do not have to give her the horse – just let her ride 'my' horse?"

Eowyn shook her head. "It would not matter. It would still be taken as more than just friendship. Even if I were to go invite her to ride this horse, never having sought her company prior to this, it would _still_ be thought that I did it to chaperone her spending time with you. I am not certain there _is_ any way to do this that will not have tongues wagging, and once they are wagging, you may find yourself backed into a corner."

None of this was what Theodred wanted to hear, though in truth it was largely what he had suspected all along even at the outset of the idea. He was not even certain why he had persisted with it, despite his fears that there was no way around the problems attending it, but he _did_ want to help Esgalmir.

Defeatedly, he shrugged. "I will give the matter more thought. Perhaps I will think of something."

As he turned away, Eowyn was tempted to point out there was nothing to think of, but she couldn't quite bring herself to do it, so she kept silent. Certainly, she of all people could appreciate his thoughtful desire to free Esgalmir from her cage. She just wasn't sure the limitations of Gondor society weren't too great to overcome.

Esgalmir had been much on Theodred's mind, for several reasons, not the least of which was that he had nearly exhausted his supply of paper during his trip to Rohan, despite the extra he had taken along in anticipation of working while there. Eager to see her, he saw no reason to delay and headed for the shop.

xx

The couple and their small child entered the stationery shop, with the man carrying a sleeping infant, and were greeted cordially by the woman at the counter. "May I help you?"

Morwen smiled in response. "I have heard of this shop from my brother, and thought I would come by while in the city, to see what you have to offer."

Moving slowly from behind the counter, the woman hobbled forward and asked, "What in particular are you looking for, my lady? Writing paper or utensils? Ink?"

"I am told you have exceptionally fine writing papers, and I am in need of more pens and ink, also. Linhir does not have a wide array of stationery supplies, so I find it wise to stock up while in Minas Tirith if I want much selection."

Suddenly the little girl piped up, "What is wrong with your leg?"

Morwen blushed red at the innocent, but impolite, question. "Hush, Mirlas! I am sorry! She does not mean to be rude. She is just curious."

Esgalmir was reddening also, but smiled with understanding. "It is all right." Leaning down slightly toward the chastened child, she answered, "My leg did not grow properly and so I cannot walk as other people do."

Mirlas considered this, then asked, "Does it hurt?" Morwen's blush deepened, but since the woman seemed willing to respond, she kept silent.

Esglamir nodded ruefully. "Yes, sometimes it does. But I am used to it."

Mirlas eyed her with concern, then said sincerely, "I am sorry!"

With a small laugh, Esgalmir replied, "Thank you! That is very kind of you."

Attempting to turn the conversation back to business, Morwen asked to see the writing paper, while Caranhir busied himself with taking Mirlas outside to keep her from asking any more inappropriate questions. As she was concluding her purchases, Morwen asked, "Would you allow me to invite you to supper this evening? I know we have just met, but I would like to make it up to you for my daughter's blunt questions."

"That truly is not necessary, my lady," Esgalmir assured her, though touched by the gesture.

"Please, it is no trouble, and since my brother will likely come –" Morwen was saying, just as the shop door opened.

"Morwen? When did you arrive in town?" Theodred asked.

"Just yesterday. It is good to see you, dearest!" Morwen exclaimed, moving to embrace him. "Caranhir and the children are outside somewhere. Did you not see them?"

"No. I must have missed them. What are you doing here?" He glanced at Esgalmir, who was watching the exchange in puzzlement, though she seemed pleased to see him.

"You mentioned this shop in your letters, so I stopped in to make some purchases. And since Mirlas chose to make some ill-advised remarks to this lady, I was inviting her to supper. We are staying at the Dol Amroth townhouse. Will you join us also? Well, 'also' assuming she agrees." She turned questioningly back toward Esgalmir.

Esgalmir felt a bit on the spot, but saw no reason to refuse the invitation so she nodded. "Of course. I would be honored. And please call me Esgalmir." She hesitated, wondering how to mention her need of assistance in getting to their residence, and thinking it best that Theodred not be the one to escort her, but Morwen appeared to have anticipated her.

"Write down your address for me, and I will send a servant for you, shortly before six. It will not be very formal. What you are wearing is fine. I have enjoyed meeting you."

Esgalmir's card in hand, Morwen said her farewells to them both, kissed her brother's cheek and departed. Once she was gone, Theodred turned to smile at Esgalmir and she commented warmly, "Welcome back. How was your visit home?

"Wonderful! And I got much work done. So much so that I am completely out of paper and desperately in need of more! And Father has agreed to fund me doing a series of childrens' books on various topics that I can illustrate. I am looking forward to that challenge as well. When you have an opportunity, perhaps you will look over my ideas on the matter and give me your suggestions. You have been most helpful in the past with your guidance."

"I will do whatever I can to be of assistance," she assured him.

Just then, Elbragol joined them from the back of the shop, greeting Theodred pleasantly, and Esgalmir moved to retrieve the supply of paper he had requested. "Did you need anything else besides paper?" she asked, reverting to her business-like demeanor, and Theodred did likewise.

"Yes, pens, ink and pencils as well. I worked like mad while I was away, and drew down all my supplies."

By the time he left the shop, a quarter hour later, he was well laden. He was not entirely satisfied with the time he had spent with Esgalmir, but contented himself by remembering he would get to see her at supper this evening, thanks to Morwen. For just an instant, he wondered if his sister had an ulterior motive in inviting the woman, but Morwen was such a stickler for propriety that he was sure that if Mirlas had been rude, the invitation was indeed an effort at an apology.

xx

Though somewhat young at age five, Mirlas was allowed to join them for supper, as they were attempting to teach her table manners. The best way to do that was in limited situations where it was thought the danger was minimized. This was presumed to be such an occasion. To Morwen's horror, it proved not to be.

"Are you gonna marry Unca The'd'ed?" Mirlas asked innocently of Esgalmir, nearly causing said uncle to choke to death on the swallow of wine he had just taken.

Smirking broadly, Caranhir took a sip of his own wine, and murmured, "The question of the moment, I should think."

"Do not encourage her!" Theodred hissed under his breath, when he could breathe again. His sister sat rubbing her forehead, utterly mortified by the entire affair and unsure how to deal with the matter.

To her credit, Esgalmir gave little reaction to the rather impertinent and personal question but, having little experience with children, not enjoying nieces or nephews of her own, she made a rather fatal move in her reply. Thinking to sidetrack the conversation onto a safer path, she attempted to deflect it with good humor and a vague response, "We have never discussed that, dear, so I cannot answer your question."

Unaware that small children rarely settle for so unsatisfying an answer, Mirlas persisted, "I think you should. He needs someone to look after him, like Mama looks after Papa." She beamed around the table at the adults, pleased with her assessment of their needs, and Caranhir hurriedly excused himself, bolting into the other room where they soon heard muffled guffaws as he attempted to conceal his laughter with a pillow.

"My sincerest apologies," Morwen offered weakly. "My daughter is quite the little matchmaker and is too young to understand how improper her words are. I do hope you are not offended."

Esgalmir smiled hesitantly, a bit uncertain about all the attention suddenly being focused on her, and very aware of Theodred's flaming face. The meal continued in an uncomfortable silence, and Caranhir rejoined them some time later when he finally recovered control of himself, though he occasionally gave various snorts and grunts that could only be understood as attempts not to let laughter break forth once again.

As soon as possible, Morwen hustled Mirlas off with her nurse to get ready for bed, and though they attempted relaxed conversation, after Mirlas' canny observation, the evening never quite ran smoothly. Pleading weariness after a long day, Esgalmir excused herself early, and Theodred insisted on accompanying her home.

They walked in silence virtually the entire way, but just as they were almost there, he caught her elbow and turned to apologize. "I am sorry if you were offended by my niece, Esgalmir. She did not mean to be rude." He could not quite meet her eyes.

Gently she touched his arm and told him, "Actually, I am flattered that she thinks me good enough for her beloved Unca The'd'ed!"

He could not restrain a laugh, and answered sincerely, "You are more than good enough for him." He glanced at her brother's house. "Do you wish me to take you to the door?"

"No," she said with a sigh, "it would be best if you did not. I can make it from here. Thank you." For just an instant, she paused, giving him a piercing look in the darkness, and then she turned and was moving away.

He watched from the shadows until she was safely inside.

_**TBC**_

_**6-23-06**_

_**Aenlic - "unique"**_

_**Mirlas is 5 in 45 IV**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: In response to lady scribe of avandell's musings of a few chapters ago, here's the answer… Also, if you want some pleasant Faramir-centric stories, wander over and take a look at Arahiril's writings. After all, you DO want to know who Leofwine is, don't you?**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 16 (begins July, 45 IV)**

Theodred flung himself onto the couch and slouched sullenly down, saying, "I hope your daughter was sorely punished for her misbehavior at supper last night!"

"Oh, you do, do you!" Morwen snorted.

Theodred eyed her with a scowl. "Of course. She was quite rude to Esgalmir with her comments. Surely you agree she should be punished, Morwen."

Morwen cast a disapproving eye at him over her knitting, and replied reprovingly, "So now you do not find it amusing. When she embarrasses me, and Caranhir roars with laughter, you think it is the most delightful thing in the world and so very charming. You encourage her and praise her and, between the two of you, you do everything to teach her ill manners. Now that it has caused _you_ some discomfort and ill ease, you wish her reprimanded. How convenient."

For several long moments, Theodred stared at his sister in disbelief. Then, glaring at his brother-in-law, he exclaimed, "What have you done to my sweet, genteel sister? She was never like this before you married her! And she would never have turned a blind eye to such ill-mannered behavior before, even if I did deserve it!"

Caranhir chuckled and shrugged, then observed, "Children are very honest, Theodred. Mirlas was not trying to be rude. My behavior was more unacceptable than hers because I knew better. We have chastized her, and tried to help her understand why she should not ask such things, but other than not allowing her to eat with us, there is no way to entirely avoid such questions until she is old enough to better comprehend what should not be said. Surely Esgalmir can appreciate that and not take offense. If she cannot, you should be grateful Mirlas frightened her away for you!"

Morwen set aside her knitting and fixed her gaze on her brother, saying, "More to the point, Theodred, Mirlas did not just pull that question out of the air. Do you imagine she just thinks you might marry any woman who dines in our home when you happen to also be there? Give her more credit than that! She sensed something between you, just as the rest of us do. Esgalmir is special to you, whether you have acknowledged it to yourself or not. I knew it before I ever came here. It is in every line of your letters when you mention her. Do you truly believe my first day in Minas Tirith I was so desperately in need of writing paper that I hurried off to a stationery store? Or was I perhaps desperately curious to meet this woman whom my brother could not write a letter without mentioning with great fondness?"

Theodred shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a bit unnerved by his sister's observations, and the fact that Caranhir clearly shared her views. Defensively, he explained, "She has been a good friend to me. What is wrong with that? It does not mean that I intend to marry the woman."

Morwen raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, and it was evident that his argument fell short of the mark in convincing her. Irritatedly, he rose and glowered at the both of them. "I am not looking for a wife just now, thank you! Perhaps when I do, I will consider Esgalmir, but I will not be pushed into it. After the mess I made of things with Kata, I am not anxious to–" He cut himself off; then, fighting for control, turned on his heel and hurried out of the house.

Tears filled Morwen's eyes. "He has my stubbornness. Let us hope he does not hurt himself as much as I did before he allows himself to be happy."

Silently Caranhir moved over behind his wife, leaning down to press a kiss to her head. "He will come around. Give him time. The pain is still fresh in his mind, and he does not want to repeat his mistakes, that is all. But, eventually, his heart will not let him deny the truth."

xx

Theodred moved agitatedly through the streets, not paying much attention to where he was going. It occurred to him that under usual circumstances, knowing that Arawine was in the city, he would have headed straight there to talk this over with him, and seek his counsel on the matter. But in this, Arawine was the last person with which he wished to confer, for it only reopened tender wounds that were just beginning to heal over.

Almost without thinking, he found himself in the stables, and discovered Freahelm brushing down Pyttewan after a breeding session. He leaned on the stall gate watching in silence, then asked, "Do you feel like going for a ride?"

Freahelm glanced curiously at him, seeming to sense his mood, and nodded, but said, "I would want to borrow a horse. Pyttewan has had his workout." He gave a grin, and Theodred laughed in response.

"I am sure Uncle Faramir will not object." Turning to a stable hand, he asked, "Is there a horse my friend may ride?"

The hand, knowing they were guests of the Steward, nodded and indicated which one to take, then went to get the horse's tack for them. Theodred moved to saddle his own stallion as Freahelm finished, and the two were soon on their way out of the city.

For a long while, they rode over the Pelennor in silence, then swung toward the Anduin and paralleled it for a time. Eventually, Freahelm broached a conversation, "So, what did you tell my father? I am sure he wanted to know where I was."

"No, not particularly. He seemed singularly disinterested. I thought it rather curious, actually," Theodred deadpanned.

Freahelm snorted. "In a pig's eye!"

Theodred laughed. "Very well! He showed up the day after I arrived, ready to beat an answer out of me if I did not offer one quick enough. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Want to hear? Not necessarily. Think more probable? Absolutely! I _know_ my father!" Freahelm paused. "And?"

"I told him the truth. That I thought you were serious about a young lady, but that you might have torn yourself away from her for a visit home had you not been tied up with obligations for breeding sessions with Pyttewan. He accepted that. But he _is_ expecting to hear more details from you about this girl!"

"I am certain of that!"

They rode a bit farther before Freahelm explained, "I want to feel I am in a reasonable position when I ask for her hand. We cannot live with her family so we need a house, and if I take her to Rohan, what will her father do in the bakery since he needs her help? There seem to be so many questions. It is more difficult than I had expected it would be. In the Mark, we just seem to fall in love and get married. Why does Gondor always have to complicate things?" They both chuckled at his observation.

"Maybe..." Theodred began, then paused.

"Maybe?" Freahelm prompted, when he did not continue.

"I do not know. I am not the best one to be giving advice on such matters, certainly! I was just going to say, perhaps you should speak with her father and let him know your intentions. See what his thoughts are. Perhaps he would be able to offer some useful ideas that would help you in resolving these issues. He is more familiar with things in Gondor than you are, so maybe he could be of assistance. After what happened with Thandwen, I do not think there is any way he would refuse your suit for Belwen, unless the lady herself was disinclined, and I have seen the way she looks at you, my friend. I do believe you will soon find yourself with a loving wife!"

Freahelm flushed red at his friend's observations, but nodded at the counsel. "You may be right. I will speak with Gimilzor."

After they had ridden a bit farther, Freahelm gave Theodred a knowing look. "I do not think you suggested we go for a ride so you could tell me about your conversation with my father and counsel me on love, Theodred. Something troubles you. Can I return the favor of some friendly advice? For what it is worth."

Theodred smiled at his astuteness, and the self-deprecation. Despite his modesty, Freahelm had always given him wise counsel in all the time he had known him. He had a good heart and a good head on his shoulders. Perhaps that was why he had sought him out.

With a sigh, he relayed all that had transpired at dinner the previous night, and in his conversation with Morwen and Caranhir earlier today.

"Do you care for her?" Freahelm asked quietly, getting straight to the material point.

"I do not...yes, I do. But I do not know if it goes beyond friendship, any more than it did with Kata," he admitted honestly. "I see many similarities between the two associations, and it worries me that I am just doing the same thing again. Kata was fortunate to escape relatively unscathed from my mistake. I do not think Esgalmir would be so fortunate. She does not have a family that cares about her like Kata does, nor is there likely to be an Arawine to take my place. I could not bear to misuse her, Freahelm."

Freahelm nodded his understanding, but commented, "Just because you did not truly love Kata does not mean you cannot truly love anyone, Theodred. You were younger then, and not yet ready to settle down. You did not know where you were going or what you wanted to do with your life. You thought you were being kind to Kata by not rejecting her outright. But I think it would be wrong for you to allow your experience with her make you fear to care about another. Trust your heart. You never felt fully committed to Kata. You just went along with her. This time listen to what your heart is telling you, and respond accordingly. Do not feign affection because it is expected by anyone else, do not pretend you care in order to be kind, only do not hesitate to act on your feelings if they are truly there, and then do not let anyone else stand in your way."

Theodred considered his friend's words and then sighed. "Thank you. I will think on this more. I suppose I do not have to decide immediately."

A grin split Freahelm's face. "No, but you cannot give her that mare until you do!"

Theodred slanted him a glare. "How did you know about that? Have you been talking to Eowyn?"

"Please! I am Eorlinga! You think I cannot figure such things out for myself! You suddenly turn up with a pretty little mare on a lead rope, for no discernible reason? Why else than to gift to some needy young lady? And who would be more in need than a young lady who has difficulty walking?" He paused, then added sincerely, "And it is a fine idea. You just have to figure out how to manage it. I told you – Gondor complicates things!

"That they do!" Theodred laughed, nudging Scildan to a gallop back toward the city.

xx

Even though he had just arrived, Theodred decided to take the opportunity and travel to Dale with the party heading out, to do some interviewing there. Since Scildan was still unscheduled for breeding, there was yet no conflict in that, and with the large party, there was no need for Freahelm to accompany him.

To some extent, Theodred felt like he was running away from his problems in Minas Tirith, but he told himself that perhaps a little bit of distance might help him think more clearly about things. It was evident when he went to stock up on supplies, prior to his departure, that Esgalmir was sorry to see him leaving again so quickly, but she accepted his explanation for it and wished him safe journey. In view of the circumstances, Eowyn had agreed to make sure the mare was exercised regularly, and took her to Emyn Arnen when they left.

Freahelm had decided to take Theodred's advice and speak with Gimilzor. Two days after the party set out for Dale, he invited the older man to supper, and made his intent known regarding Belwen, during which he laid out the situation, and the difficulties as he saw them. The conversation took an entirely different course than he had expected, but by the end of the evening, a betrothal had been agreed upon.

All things considered, he now thought it imperative that he speak with his father, and he set about clearing Pyttewan's breeding schedule so he could make the journey home. Elboron had agreed to travel with him, and a fortnight later they were able to start out.

Elboron made for a much quieter traveling companion than Theodred, though not unpleasant. And he did not object to the stopover Freahelm wanted to make in visiting Hyrde's family, actually finding it rather interesting hearing the story of how they had met.

By the time they moved on, two days later, Freahelm was getting a bit nervous. He hadn't really told Elboron his reason for this visit other than that he was advising his family of his upcoming marriage, but it went well beyond that, and he was not certain how his news would be received.

They rode into Edoras at dusk on a hot day in late July. Freahelm peeled off farther down the hill, toward his family's cottage, leaving Elboron to continue on alone to Meduseld.

It took awhile for his mother to stop crying and hugging him, and his father to stop teasing her about it. As they had just been about to sit down to supper, another place was set for him, and they laughed and talked through the entire meal. Even so, Eothain noticed that nothing was said about a blond baker's daughter in Gondor, and more than once his son caught his eye and then quickly looked away. Yes, there was clearly more that needed to be discussed, but not here and not now.

His brother's family was summoned, and they spent a pleasant evening of reunion. The nieces and nephews were thrilled to have their adored uncle Freahelm home, and he was virtually mauled by their attentions to him until finally their parents insisted they be off to bed for the night, and Brandir's family said their goodnights. As it was late, and had likely been a long day of traveling, Eothain did not press his son for talk tonight. Tomorrow would be soon enough. Giving Freahelm's shoulder a squeeze with his beefy hand, Eothain simply told him, "It is good to have you home, son."

Freahelm nodded silently, before kissing his mother and heading off to his old room. Watching him go, Eothain heaved a sigh, as Zimraphel moved alongside him, slipping her arm around his waist, and asking, "What is it?"

"I do not know, but the boy is troubled. Were he simply here to say he is getting married, that would be cause for joy, but I think there is more to it." He forced a smile, and kissed her head. "Do not fret until he tells us what is on his mind. It may be nothing too serious. I worry too much."

She hugged him tightly in an effort at reassurance, and said quietly, "Come to bed. Whatever it is, we will weather it."

xx

Eothain found his youngest settled on the bench in front of the house, watching the sun slowly peeking into view. "Since when are you such an early riser?" he questioned with a laugh, taking a seat beside his son.

Freahelm shrugged, answering, "It is not hard to be up early if you do not sleep well."

"True," Eothain responded mildly, letting the conversation unfold as it would.

For several long moments, nothing was said, and the only sounds were the ever-present wind and a few twittering birds in the tree to their left.

Finally, Freahelm took a deep breath and explained, "Theodred told you of Belwen. I spoke to her father, Gimilzor, asking for her hand, and he has given his consent."

Another long silence ensued.

"Father...Gimilzor would have me...work with him in the bakery." Freahelm paused, looking down at his hands and not seeing his father's raised eyebrow, then continued as he finally looked up, "He would have me be his heir."

"His heir?" Eothain asked quietly, then waited for his son to explain.

"He has no sons, no one to take over the business, or to care for his family should anything happen to him. Already his wife is gone, and Thandwen, his other daughter, is yet unmarried. Were he to die before she were settled, who would provide for her? Who would protect their rights? In view of my betrothal to Belwen, he would have me be the one. I would stay in Minas Tirith and learn the trade, then work alongside them in the bakery, however well I am able."

"Is this what you want, son?"

Freahelm stared off over the Riddermark a long while before answering, then finally said, "Aye, it is. Here I am only a second son, and have no purpose. I am a decent soldier, but I am no true leader, and would likely never attain any appreciable rank or distinction." He shrugged. "I have never sought the honors or privileges associated with being the heir, but I cannot deny they would be enjoyable. Were Brandir not here to represent our family, you know I would not leave you bereft, but since he is, what is the harm if I..."

His gaze moved back over the plains and he sighed. This was not so easy a decision as he was making it seem, and his father well knew it. Likely he had lost a great deal of sleep considering the matter.

At length Freahelm added firmly, "Someday I want to return home, but not just yet. I am needed there." There was no hesitation in his voice, and he looked at his father with a steady eye.

Eothain grinned and cupped Freahelm's head, shaking his own in amusement. "Aye. You cannot pass up someone who has need of you, any more than I ever could. It is something in our blood, I think. You have my blessing...and my respect."

They sat side by side for a time, and then Eothain chuckled. "Well, then, I suppose this means your mother and I need to make a little trip to Minas Tirith in the near future!"

_**TBC**_

_**6-24-06**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N: Seeing as how Freahelm isn't really in the next two chapters, and Tracey was rather put out with me for losing…er, misplacing him, I thought I ought to assure the rest of you that he is safe and well in Minas Tirith, and that Belwen is taking tender loving care of our dear boy! So there! (He will reappear.)**_

**_And in case you are desperately interested, Adventures of Theodred has become my longest posted story, beating out one of my Harry Potter stories for that distinction. (The HP story has more chapters but they are shorter.) Looks like this "story" will have 19 chapters before it "ends", and then it will become like the other Chronicles and have occasional references made as separate chronicles that use these characters. (Some are already in the works.) Chapters 17 and 18 are written; 19 is pending but should be ready very soon. This certainly turned into far more of an epic than I ever imagined or intended it to be…_**

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 17 (begins Aug, 45 IV)**

He was watching her again. Kata had noticed Theodred's eyes upon her a great deal since they had departed Minas Tirith. At first, it had made her uneasy, and she had begun to wonder if he was truly reconciled to her love for Arawine, but as time went on, it was evident to her that he was not jealous of their love for one another. Something else was going on, and she began to observe him in return to determine what it might be.

Theodred had always been a young man given to much thought and contemplation, and so it was now. The question was, what occupied his thoughts so fully? Though he pursued his work and interviewed artisans, townspeople, her family and anyone else he could get to speak with him in Dale, still he watched her. What was he looking for? She began to think he struggled with something within himself, and was seeking answers to some question, but how she figured into it, she was not certain.

The longer they were in Dale, the more restless Theodred seemed to grow. He was not at peace here as he had been in the past. Whatever had caused him to make the sudden decision to join them on the journey north, he now appeared to regret. Even the satisfaction of his work could not appease him. She knew Arawine was aware of his twin's unease, but he seemed reluctant to intrude on his thoughts for some reason, perhaps thinking he no longer had the right. At length, Kata prevailed upon him to set aside his misgivings and trust his heart in the matter. Theodred needed a friend now.

"Hard at work, I see!"

Arawine's voice penetrated Theodred's reverie and he blinked, coming out of his fog. He was sitting in the gazebo, looking out over the valley in Dale, though he wasn't sure how long he had been lost in contemplation.

He gave his nephew a weak smile. "All work begins with thought, does it not?"

Arawine raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Nice try! Am I supposed to believe that?"

Theodred shrugged, and turned his head to stare over the valley once more, giving a sigh.

Taking a seat beside his uncle, Arawine was silent a moment, then nudged Theodred's shoulder with his own. "Talk to me, Theo. I am still your twin. That has not changed, you know."

Theodred shook his head slightly, uncertain what to say or how to begin, but Arawine knew to just wait. Finally he ventured, "I thought it was the same, that I was making the same mistakes, and I did not want to do that to her. It would be so much worse this time. But it is not the same. Much as I enjoyed being with Kata, it was never like this. What I am feeling...it hurts to be away from her. When I am with her, I can scarce breathe it is so wondrous. When she touches me, I am calm and sure and confident. When she is with me, I know I can do anything." He turned to look penetratingly at Arawine. "Is that love?"

Arawine nodded, tears filling his eyes. "Yes."

Theodred grinned, a new understanding dawning on his face.

"Esgalmir?"

Theodred's head jerked in surprise at the question, then he laughed. "Yes. That obvious?"

"Yes!"

A solemn look fell on Theodred's face. "May I borrow an escort back to Minas Tirith? I think I am ready to tell her how I feel." He met his nephew's eyes steadily.

Arawine nodded. "Name the date and they will be ready to ride. And, Theo – do not worry. I very much suspect the lady will be agreeable to the idea!"

Theodred returned his grin, but he was not so assured as he seemed. Esgalmir had always been friendly and kind, but he was not so certain her regard went deeper than that. It was possible she might accept his suit for purely practical reasons, without loving him, though he would wish for her love. He shoved the thought aside. He could only wait and see what her response was, and hope for the best.

xx

The White Tower of Ecthelion gleamed in the September sunlight. For several moments, Theodred just sat staring at it.

"Sir?" the head of the escort inquired, uncertain why they were pausing.

Pulling himself from his reverie, Theodred nodded. "Ride on."

He still was not sure what to say to her, or how to say it, but he would have to find a way, and no matter what, he was going to give her that mare and teach her to ride, so that she would have some freedom. Even if she did not want him, she deserved more than the caged existence to which her brother wanted to relegate her.

Once they had entered the city, Theodred saw that Arawine's men were quartered until his nephew arrived from Dale, and then headed for the Steward's residence. None of the family or Freahelm was there when he put in appearance, so he indulged in a hot bath to wash off the dust of the road.

Afterwards, he found himself restless and unable to light in one place for any length of time. He couldn't decide if he wanted someone to come home so he could talk to them, or wished to avoid conversation. Abruptly, his jaw set, he carefully dressed in some of his finer clothing and struck out for the fourth level. From the street, he could see through the window that Anbarad was in the shop today – a rare occurrence. Perhaps all the better.

Striding purposefully inside, he greeted Esgalmir cheerfully, "Lady Esgalmir! So good to see you."

"Lord Theodred! Welcome back! How was your visit to Dale?" Though her words were cordial and polite, her eyes were warm and pleased to see him.

Rather rudely, Anbarad interrupted, "Lord Theodred! Welcome! What can we do for you today?"

Barely sparing him a glance, Theodred returned his attention to Esgalmir. "Oh, I am certain Esgalmir knows how to take care of me. She is always most particular in seeing to my needs."

The warmth in his voice elicted a hint of blush in her cheeks, and Esgalmir turned quickly away before her brother noticed. Hastily retrieving a box of paper and some pens, she set them on the counter, flitting a glance at Theodred then away as she asked, "Will there be anything else today, my lord?"

"Yes," he said, stepping to the counter, and laying a hand on top of hers. "I wish you to come riding with me. Can you spare an hour or so tomorrow morning?"

"Riding! Do not be ridiculous!" Anbarad exclaimed. "My sister cannot ride. She is a cripple!"

Theodred turned with a glare, as Esgalmir's face flamed, retorting, "Are you always so ill-mannered, sir?"

Anbarad was at a complete loss for words, to be spoken to so, but considering this was the son of a king, he was not about to argue. "Forgive me, my lord. I did not mean to be so." he said stiffly.

Turning his back on Anbarad, Theodred focused on Esgalmir once more and said gently, "I have a special mare I brought from Rohan just for you. I assure you that you will be quite safe. You _can_ ride, Esgalmir. Your leg will not be an impediment. Please come with me. Your brother does not mind, do you, Anbarad?" He turned a challenging eye on the other man, making it plain he expected the correct answer.

"No, of course not, my lord."

"Excellent. I will come by the house for you at eight. If you do not have a split skirt, then wear the fullest skirt you do have. I will see you then." With that, he raised her hand, kissed it tenderly, picked up his purchases and left. Both Anbarad and Esgalmir were quite stunned by what had just happened, though for very different reasons.

Finally, Anbarad stammered, "What was that all about?" He stared demandingly at his sister.

Recovering her composure, Esgalmir busied herself straightening the display shelves. Mildly she responded, "You must understand, Anbarad, the Rohirrim put great store in their horses to cure all ills. I am sure Lord Theodred believes he is being very kind with this gesture. I would not wish to offend him with a refusal. Let us go along with it for awhile. In time, perhaps he will see that it is hopeless and not be so insistent."

Her brother eyed her back speculatively, but apparently accepted her explanation of the matter. "Very well. Just do not do anything to embarrass me," he reiterated.

"I would not dream of it," she answered sarcastically, though in such a way that it was lost on him.

Turning on his heel, he was quickly out the door, and she was left to her own thoughts and her own roiling emotions about what had just taken place. Theodred had never behaved so with her before, at least never so publicly. True, he was that easy with her when they were somewhat alone, such as at dinner, but to do so in the shop and in front of her brother was most unusual. She could not imagine what had gotten into him. Well, perhaps she would find out tomorrow morning. At the very least, it had been amusing to see her brother set down a notch!

xx

True to his word, Theodred put in appearance directly at eight, and though Anbarad would have tied him up with conversation, he wasted no time in whisking Esgalmir away, claiming he wished to get started before the day got warm. They strolled in companionable silence toward the sixth level, but Esgalmir was on edge. Though she was certain he meant well by this, horses made her nervous. Their size was intimidating, and she did not move quickly enough to feel safe around them.

Subconsciously, her arm tightened its grip on Theodred's as they drew near the stables, and he glanced down at her. Seeming to sense her tension, he came to a stop and turned to face her, taking both her hands in his and looking straight into her eyes. "Trust me, Esgalmir. I will not let you get hurt. Rohirric horses are different than others, and this mare has been especially trained just for you by my brother. Once you have learned to ride, then you will not be so restricted in where you may go and what you may do. And you will not be confined by these city walls," he murmured.

She inhaled slightly at his words, surprised that he remembered her comment of months ago. Hesitantly, she replied, "I do trust you, Theodred."

Before she could say more, he grinned and tucked her hand around his arm again, moving them into the barn. "Good! Then come meet Aenlic!"

The stable was dark compared to the bright morning sunlight, and full of smells that Esgalmir did not recognize. Theodred led her confidently down the center corridor, and other than mild glances of curiosity, the stable hands paid her little mind.

Near the end, a pretty light gray mare poked her head over the stall door and whickered a greeting at them, apparently recognizing Theodred. Nervously, Esgalmir eyed the creature, relieved that she was much smaller than many of the horses she had seen previously, and appeared to be quite tame.

"This is Aenlic," Theodred introduced, reaching to rub behind the mare's ears and being rewarded with her leaning appreciatively into his hand.

Trying to quell her nerves, Esgalmir asked, "Aenlic – does that mean something?"

"Yes, it means 'unique'. And she is, like her new owner," he informed her with a grin, engendering a blush. "Further, you may well be one of the very few people who may say you have a horse especially trained for you by the heir to the throne of Rohan!"

Esgalmir's brow knit in consternation, and she asked, "Surely you do not mean…"

"Yes, my brother, Elfwine, trained her. I am good with horses, but nothing like he is."

"Theodred, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, and it was very kind of your brother to do this but, truly, I think you expect too much. My leg will not allow me to ride a horse."

"Your leg allows you to walk, so it will allow you to ride. There should be no difference. Aenlic will adjust to any stiffness, and learn to work with you. Trust me, Esgalmir. This _is_ possible."

"But my foot turns inward. It will dig into her side and–"

"And she will get used to it. If it is too pronounced, we can fix a stirrup to help prevent it from bothering her. Do not worry. I will not let this fail."

His hand came up and, for just an instant, she thought he was going to stroke her head but, instead, he let it rest on her shoulder. Then, turning her, he took her right hand and stretched it out to Aenlic's neck. Though he could feel the tension in her arm, he persisted, whispering, "Relax. She will not hurt you. She is gentle as a lamb."

Leaning back into him, she let him guide her at will, and he moved her hand to the mare's neck. Slowly he steered her palm in strokes along the length of it. She was surprised at the silky softness of it. After a moment, he pressed her forward a step so she was slightly closer, and her hand slid back and up along the withers, toward the dip of the mare's back, then down along her side. Apparently it tickled slightly for the horse's skin twitched, and Esgalmir recoiled quickly in surprise, but when nothing else happened, she giggled nervously and allowed Theodred to return her hand to the exploration. Back along the horse's flank and down the haunches to the hock; then he had her grasp the rough fibers of the tail and her brow knit as she rubbed it between her fingers in fascination.

Moving her back to the front of the stall as Aenlic stood patiently on three legs, with the fourth cocked casually, Theodred led Esgalmir to look in the mare's eyes. "Hold out your hand, palm up."

Esgalmir tensed again, but Theodred slid his own hand along her arm to cup her hand with his own. "Do not be afraid. With most horses, you should be careful not to get your fingers near their mouths as they may confuse them with food. Rohirric horses are smarter than that, and they know the difference! They will only bite you if they have good reason to, not because they are confused."

As he spoke, Aenlic was moving her muzzle lightly over Esgalmir's palm, tickling it slightly, and then she began to lick it slowly.

With a giggle, Esgalmir tried to draw her hand away, but Theodred held it in place. "It is all right. She is just tasting the salt on your hand."

After a moment more, he wiped her hand dry on his breeches, then brushed her hand against Aenlic's nose, and Esgalmir gave a gasp. "It is so soft!"

"Yes. It is the softest part on her. Ladies seem to be quite fond of stroking their horse's noses for just that reason." As Esgalmir continued to do just that, he asked, "Are you beginning to feel more comfortable with her now?"

"I am," she admitted. "She is not nearly so fearsome as I imagined."

Without warning, he caught her by the waist and swung her up on Aenlic's bare back. The mare never moved, but Esgalmir let out a small shriek, and grabbed frantically for the horse's mane. "Theodred! What are you doing?"

Moving in close by her left leg, and keeping a firm grip on her, he said, "I did not want to give you time to think of all the reasons why you could not or should not do this. See, it is not so hard a thing. She has barely noticed you are there. You have not fallen immediately off. Your leg has not caused her to become alarmed and throw you."

"Yes," she replied tersely, "but we have not moved, either."

He grinned reassuringly at her. "We will save that for another day, but it will not matter. You are safe with Aenlic, and with me, Esgalmir. And soon you will know the freedom that riding affords."

"May I get down now?" she asked nervously.

"No," he laughed. "If I let you down, you will just want to go work in the shop. As long as I keep you up there, you are my captive, and I get to spend time with you!"

Aenlic was becoming curious as to what these two were about, and turned to investigate, mouthing at Esgalmir's skirt. With a gasp, Esgalmir tried to pull away from her, but was afraid to move very much for fear of falling off.

"Sit still. She will not hurt you. She is just being inquisitive. She is trying to figure out what you are doing. Just give her a pat on the neck to reassure her."

Hesitantly Esgalmir followed his instructions, and Aenlic accepted the gesture, then began to turn slowly around. Esgalmir let out another gasp, but Theodred just kept a firm hand on her waist and said quietly, "Be calm. She is just going to her hayrack. Grip lightly with your legs, and hold on to her mane. And I have hold of you, also. You will not fall."

Sure enough, the turn was safely negotiated, as the mare moved to the hay. Though it was lost on Esgalmir, Theodred knew Aenlic had moved carefully, likely sensing her rider was unsteady and would be unseated by any sudden motions.

After a few more minutes, as Theodred finally felt Esgalmir relaxing under his hand, he lifted her down, and smoothed her dress. "Was that truly so terrible?" he asked gently.

"No, I suppose not," she confessed. Without thinking about it, she leaned back against the mare. Lowering her eyes, she asked, "When will we come again?"

"Day after tomorrow. I am not sure I should press my luck with your brother. Now then, it has not been nearly long enough, and I know a bakery that makes wonderful cinnamon rolls, so I think I should treat you to one before I take you home to wash. No doubt your brother will not want you working in the shop smelling of horses!"

_**TBC**_

_**6-28-06**_


	18. Chapter 18

**_A/N: Ch. 19 still isn't quite ready, but I didn't see any reason to keep you in suspense on this one. I should have 19 up some time this week. Just have to fine-tune it. Happy 4th of July to those of you in the U.S. Lialathuveril has an Eomer/Lothiriel story working called "Black Eyes" that you might enjoy, if you haven't yet discovered it._**

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 18 (Sept, 45 IV)**

Anbarad was not home when Esgalmir returned to change her clothes before going to the shop, but she thought it best to wash quickly and depart in hopes of avoiding him if at all possible. She felt certain he would want to question her about the morning, and she truly was not inclined to spoil a perfectly lovely time with his insinuations and attempts at twisting matters to his benefit.

She wasn't quick enough. A brief knock signaled his arrival an instant before he rudely opened her door without being summoned. Fortunately, she was at least dressed before he made his entrance and demanded, "Well, what happened?"

"Nothing of consequence." She busied herself about the room to avoid meeting his gaze. "He took me to the stable to meet the mare, just as he said."

"What do you mean 'meet' the mare?" Anbarad asked incredulously.

"I mean 'meet', brother. I told you before. The Rohirrim take their horses very seriously, and for them a ride is not a simple matter. One must become acquainted with one's mount first. All we did was stand in the stall and get to know this mare that he wishes me to ride, while he told me about her. He will return another day and expect me to actually get up on the animal. I am still hoping to persuade him that I am not physically up to this, but he is most persistent."

"I see," Anbarad replied slowly, and Esgalmir didn't like the speculative note in his voice, but didn't dare look at him or ask any questions.

"Esgalmir, I want you to send a note to the Prince and invite him to my supper party tomorrow night," he instructed. "It will be quite a coup for me to have him present and, considering his interest in you, I think it quite possible he will come."

"Anbarad! I do not know him well enough to make such an invitation, and you certainly do not! It would be most inappropriate!" It was as she had feared; her brother clearly planned to trade on this to further his ambitions.

"Nonsense. The man's overtures toward you suggest an interest and that is enough to make it appropriate. You _will_ do this. You owe it to me, for all I have done for you."

She was seething inside at his playing his guilt card yet again, but what could she do when her very existence depended upon him. "Anbarad, please. He does not understand Gondorian society. He is only being kind. I am sure he does not intend his gesture to be any kind of overture toward me, and you must not mistake it as such." She knew even as she said it that she was wasting her breath, but for Theodred's sake she had to attempt it.

"Esgalmir, in a few years I will not be able to _pay_ a man to marry you. Prince Theodred may be the last chance we have to marry you off. You will do all you can to secure him, for both our sakes. Do you understand me?" There was a clear threat underlying his question, and for an instant she wondered what he would do if she defied him.

Noncommittally, she answered, "I will extend the invitation." If Anbarad noticed that her capitulation fell short of what he was demanding, he gave no indication. Instead, he turned on his heel and left, and she sat down heavily on the side of her bed, shaking with anger.

She could not, would not, help entrap Theodred in Anbarad's web. Surely he did not know that gifting her with Aenlic would cause such speculation about their connection. She would have to find some way in which to explain it to him so as not to cause him public embarrasment, and not allow her brother to back him into a corner. He was thoughtful and generous, and he did not deserve to be so ill used.

xx

Eowyn handed the card to Theodred. "This just came for you." She tarried, guessing something interesting might be afoot.

After glancing at the note, Theodred looked up and explained, "I am invited to supper and entertainment at Anbarad's tomorrow night."

Eowyn quirked an eyebrow at him, commenting, "Things are moving quickly. You present Aenlic to the lady, and now the lady invites you to supper with her brother!"

Theodred grinned, but tapped the note thoughtfully against his hand, answering, "I am not so sure. I do not think Esgalmir realized my intent yesterday or this morning. And this note invites me, but there is a tone of reluctance to it. I suspect it is Anbarad pressuring her to make the invitation though she does not wish to do so."

"You do not think she wants you to come?" Eowyn asked in surprise.

Theodred sighed, and then shrugged. "I do not know. I need to talk to her – to just her, alone, and discover her thoughts and feelings about me. I fear that Anbarad may be getting involved in this in some way, and that is causing a problem."

Eowyn smiled and laid a hand on her nephew's shoulder, advising, "You are Rohirrim, Theodred! Never let it be said you were bested by a Gondorian, especially a pompous Gondorian nobleman!" Laughing heartily, she strolled away, leaving him chuckling as he went to send a reply.

xx

She supposed the evening was going as well as could be expected. Her brother was being his usual obsequious self, fawning over Theodred at every turn. Theodred managed to seem utterly oblivious to it, and stay charming and polite all around. Esgalmir knew her brother had intended to seat Theodred next to himself at supper, but Theodred gave her his arm to escort her in, and once she was seated, he had plunked down in the chair next to her. No one had dared suggest he move, so Anbarad had been forced to alter his plans in that regard. Esgalmir had the sneaking suspicion that Theodred knew full well what he had done, and did not care in the slightest.

Most of the guests were Anbarad's equally boring and pompous friends, and all were eager to impress Theodred with how important they were. Fortunately, Esgalmir knew that crowd was very fond of games, and suggested the same be set up for entertainment. Theodred wasted no time in claiming Esgalmir as his checkers partner, to Anbarad's satisfaction. She agreed, with mixed emotions. On the one hand, since she had been the one to invite him, she didn't wish him to have a miserable time. Still, to allow Anbarad to push her at him rubbed her the wrong way.

"Are you good at checkers?" Theodred was asking, pulling her attention back to the present, as they set up the board. "I warn you, I am very good."

A slow smile slid over her face. _Was he indeed? That could work to her advantage!_ "I am fairly good. I will do my best," she answered demurely. She knew very well her brother would expect her to lose to Theodred, in order to attract him…

Being handicapped had given Esgalmir plenty of time to play checkers, and become extremely good. Theodred soon discovered he had nowhere near her skill, though he was thoroughly enjoying the challenge of trying to best her. To some extent, that was a bit dismaying to Esgalmir. She had hoped that defeating him would be a bit off-putting to him, but he did not seem to mind at all.

Anbarad, it was evident, _did_ seem to have taken exception to it. "Esgalmir, I would speak with you privately," he told her sternly.

Though it could have been said more politely, she thought it best not to make a scene, and she rose without comment, to follow him off to the hallway. Once they were alone, he turned on her almost immediately.

"What do you think you are doing?" Anbarad queried imperiously, obviously quite put out.

"To what are you referring?" Esgalmir asked, refusing to take the bait.

"You are offending the Prince! Sitting there, showing him up! Cease it at once!" he demanded.

Esgalmir felt her hackles rise at the order. "Offending…_the Prince_? Theodred?" she asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

"Yes!"

"Until tonight," she observed, with a hiss, "_you_ had only met 'the Prince' _thrice_, so _you_ hardly qualify to know him well enough to know what will offend him, brother! I have done _nothing_ amiss!"

Anbarad stared at her in virtual shock, unable to believe she was daring to openly dispute him.

"Is there a problem?" a quiet voice asked from their left, and Anbarad jumped slightly. Neither had seen Theodred coming to join them.

Smiling tightly at him, Esgalmir reassured Theodred as she took his arm, "Not at all, my lord. My brother misunderstood something, and needed me to explain it to him. That is all." She took a step back toward their seats, nudging Theodred along, and he took the hint.

Still, once they were reseated, it soon became apparent to Theodred that her mind remained distracted by whatever had transpired with her brother, and it had clearly left her distressed and on edge. He stuck it out a quarter of an hour, then leaned toward her and softly suggested, "Esgalmir, will you walk with me?"

She glanced up, seeming startled, and her eyes darted quickly about the room, but she nodded. As she rose, he stepped over to the couch where she had laid her shawl earlier and retrieved it, then wrapped it about her shoulders before offering his arm to her. She steered him out to her brother's small garden with some reluctance, knowing that it would not be entirely private there.

They moved to the garden wall that looked out over a small communal courtyard for the houses in this part of the city. Theodred studied it briefly, then asked, "Is there a way into that courtyard?"

She blinked in surprise at the question, but then nodded, and showed him to a small gate, almost hidden in the shrubbery and little used since her brother preferred the exclusiveness of his seclusion.

As they moved to a bench, they were now better able to speak privately, and it occurred to her that it had been his intent in suggesting the change of location. Once she was seated, he half turned though he did not look at her, and reached for her hand, "What troubles you, Esgalmir? You were in good humor earlier on, until your brother drew you aside. Has he upset you in some way? Might I help?"

She sighed and almost withdrew her hand from his, but she was enjoying the warmth of his fingers wrapped around hers and was loath to part from it. Still, she could not tell him of all that was happening with Anbarad. She would not burden him with that, and she would not let her brother do anything to…

"It is nothing. Do not let it concern you, Theodred. It has been a long day, that is all. I am feeling better already." At least that much was true. Escaping her brother to sit in the moonlight with Theodred was indeed having a relaxing effect on her.

For a long while neither spoke, and then ever so softly, he asked, "Will you never see me as more?"

"More?" she questioned in puzzlement, though her heart was suddenly beating painfully against her ribs, and the evening air was inexplicably warm for this time of year.

"I know you are a few years my senior, and likely that colors your view of me, but age should not be a barrier to people caring for one another. What I felt for Kata was convenient – it neatly organized a part of my life – but had I known then that it could be like this, that it could feel like this, I would never have been willing to settle for _convenience_. I love you, Esgalmir; truly love you."

She lurched to her feet. Surely this was not happening. Perhaps Anbarad had gotten to him after all, said something to persuade him to... She rubbed fretfully at her forehead as he stood also, puzzled by her reaction. Convinced it somehow tied to the unpleasantness with her brother, he returned to that subject. "Why did Anbarad draw you aside?"

She stiffened, but decided perhaps being honest would be the best thing now. "He was upset with me for offending you."

"Offending me? Offending me how?"

Theodred's voice sounded truly curious, as she might have expected. Turning to face him, she answered, "He is of the opinion that a lady should never best a gentleman at games. That it is ill-mannered. That if she wishes to find favor with someone she should always let him win, even if she is more skilled than he." She tilted her chin defiantly at him.

He stared at her for several moments, then asked quietly, "So did you win at checkers to prove that you could, or because you do not wish to find favor with me and sought to offend me?"

Her brow knit perplexedly, not expecting this question. "I...I was not trying to offend you. I see no reason to curry favor by pretending to be less than I am, or to lose unless I am outplayed."

"But did you wish to find favor with me or not?" he persisted.

"I..." she began, then hesitated. Finally, she admitted, "I did not give the matter any thought. I merely played the game as best I could."

"So you have no feelings for me at all, then," he concluded, settling dejectedly on the bench.

For several minutes, she stood silently debating what to do and say. He had already declared himself in love with her. All she had to do was say the words, and he was hers. That was what Anbarad wanted. She could leave her brother's household forever and never look back; a simple, convenient solution to her problem. But what did _she_ want?

All these months that he had been coming into the shop, she had held back, careful not to let anyone, particularly her brother, think there was anything between them. Every word she spoke, she carefully chose so as not to mention Theodred too frequently or too fondly, and certainly not too familiarly. And her efforts had not been in vain. While Anbarad desperately hoped to secure Theodred's interest, she did not think he had suspected a thing about their long friendship. Now this moment of reckoning and she was not prepared.

She was not prepared for the indescribable warmth that spread through her at the knowledge of his love for her, or the thrill of his touch when he took her hand or elbow. She was not prepared for the way his nearness took her breath away, or how even in his absence he filled her thoughts. She was not prepared for how complete and whole and perfect he made her feel, or how she knew he was not offended in the slightest if she bested him at something, because he delighted in her successes. She was not prepared to realize just how much she had come to love him without even noticing it sneaking up on her.

And she had no idea how to even begin to explain it to him.

So she did the only thing that came to mind. She sat down, slid her arms around his waist, then laid her head upon his chest, and held him until he understood what she could not say.

Esgalmir had little doubt that her brother had come looking for her at some point, and seen her in Theodred's arms. While societal protocols might have frowned on such things, she could not imagine any circumstances in which her brother would ever challenge a prince of Rohan about impropriety with his sister. Indeed, he was likely to encourage such in order to entrap the young man into a marriage. Be that as it may, she was willing to make use of her brother's stupidity in order to be alone with Theodred just now. She had no fears for her virtue where Theodred was concerned.

They talked long into the night, and did not bother going back inside until she was ready to turn in, long after they were certain the other guests had departed. Though Theodred knew it was bad manners on his part, he was willing to risk the censure on this occasion and trust he could make it up later.

They had agreed to meet again at eight the next morning for their ride, and though it was nearly midnight when they parted, and Esgalmir found sleep was slow to come, she was up early and dressed. She had hoped to avoid her brother, but he was waiting at her door the moment she left her room, clearly wanting a detailed report of the previous night. He was going to be disappointed, because she had no intention of giving him that. The truth of the situation could not be kept from him, of course, but the particulars were none of his business.

Smiling serenely, she answered his questions laconically as she downed a quick breakfast, hoping Theodred would be early. He did not disappoint her. Once again, Anbarad attempted to detain the young man, but Theodred could be most elusive when he chose to be and, claiming his cousin was awaiting them at the stables, they were soon off.

As it turned out, he had not been lying. Luthiel was, in fact, tacking her own horse in preparation of joining them for their ride. Leading Esgalmir to Aenlic's stall, Theodred handed her a carrot to feed to the mare, and Aenlic crunched happily on the treat while Theodred brushed her thoroughly.

"Eventually, you may wish to learn to care for her yourself. A bond tends to develop between horse and rider, and we prefer to care for our horses so that we are certain they are receiving the best care. But for now, either I or a stable hand can do it for you. The same with the tack," Theodred explained.

Esgalmir found herself watching carefully what he was doing. Though she had never imagined for a moment that she would ever do such a thing, or even be interested, suddenly it did not seem such a remote possibility.

Once the mare was spotlessly clean, he began to tack her up with a beautiful tooled saddle and bridle. Moving closer, she examined the workmanship of the leather. "This is marvelous! Where did you get it?" she asked him.

He grinned, replying, "There is a saddler in Edoras that has supplied the royal household for generations. I had this made especially for Aenlic, and for you, though I had to guess a bit on the measurements. But you are about the size of my sister-in-law, Fele, so I used her measurements as a basis for him to work from."

She stared at him in awe. "You went to all that trouble for me?"

Stepping closer, he slipped a hand on her waist and lowered his forehead until it almost touched hers, murmuring softly, "Of course!"

"Behave yourselves, you two!" Luthiel laughed, walking by, leading her horse. "I have not got all day to attend you lovebirds!"

With a chuckle, Theodred stepped back as Esgalmir flushed red, and he handed her Aenlic's reins. "Just stand here and hold her for a moment while I go saddle my horse."

Esgalmir looked a bit nervous at being left alone with the mare, but took a deep breath and nodded, and he gave her a reassuring grin. Moving quickly away, he soon had Scildan brushed and tacked, and returned to show Esgalmir how to lead a horse. Slowly they made their way to the stableyard and joined Luthiel there. Handing Scildan's reins to Luthiel, Theodred stepped next to Esgalmir and demonstrated the correct way to mount a horse, and then helped her to do so. It was a bit rough, but she was soon in the saddle. They took a moment to arrange her skirt to cover her legs, and Theodred carefully checked her leg to see how the brace was laying against Aenlic's side. Reassuringly, he told Esgalmir, "Your toe should not bother her much. She will get used to it quickly enough. And the brace fits against your skirt and the stirrup leather so she will barely notice that. Do not worry."

She tried to give him a brave smile, but it looked a bit like a grimace and he laughed at her. Catching hold of her hand, he told her sincerely, "I swear to you, beloved, I will not let you fall! Trust me!"

His words cut through her fears like a knife, and she grinned sheepishly at him. "I do! I do trust you, Theodred!" she whispered fervently.

"Good!" he whispered back.

A moment later he had stepped into the saddle and they began the journey down through the city, with Luthiel leading the way. His cousin was suffering no delusions about this outing. She knew she was completely superfluous. The more invisible she made herself, the better everyone would like it. Still, she had never objected to an early morning gallop on the Pelennor. After they cleared the gate, she urged her horse to a run, calling brightly over her shoulder, "Race you to the wall!" A moment later, she had left them in her dust.

Esgalmir had given out a gasp at the challenge, but Theodred only laughed and drew rein, holding Scildan in check so he didn't attempt to follow. Aenlic had already sensed that her rider was not up to much just yet, and made no effort to increase her speed. While the long walk through the city had gradually helped Esgalmir relax and get the feel of sitting in a saddle, it still felt quite strange to her. Watching the ease with which Luthiel maneuvered her mount, she felt quite envious. This must be the freedom Theodred kept mentioning to her. It did seem to be so, but she could not quite envision herself in Luthiel's place, flying across the plains, crouched over the neck of a galloping steed.

Suddenly, an arm snaked out and caught her by the waist. The next thing she knew, Theodred had plucked her from Aenlic's saddle and settled her in front of him on Scildan, wrapping his arms around her. As though he had read her thoughts of a moment ago, he leaned and whispered in her ear, "Now, Esgalmir, I want _you_ to taste freedom!" And with that, he urged Scildan to a breakneck gallop.

Initially, she was terrified. She let out a scream of panic, begging him to slow down, but when he did not heed her, and his arms tightened reassuringly around her, she realized she was in no danger. She was free and this was almost like flying. With a gasp of astonishment, the understanding hit her that Theodred had suddenly opened the door to her prison and released her. Without thinking, she let go her death grip on the saddle horn, flinging both her arms out wide, and she laughed with joy. An instant later, she could feel Theodred laughing with her.

They ran for some time, until finally he eased the stallion slower and then drew him to a walk, letting him cool off. It seemed as though she was breathing almost as hard as the horse, from the sheer excitement and pleasure of it all. Twisting around as best she could to try and look at Theodred, she exclaimed, "Thank you!"

His response was a hand upon her head, his fingers carding through her hair and finishing what the wind had begun in loosening her hair from its pins. And then he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. As they drew apart, he whispered, "I love you, Esgalmir. And you will never be caged again."

_**TBC**_

_**6-29-06**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: AggieVGirl brought it to my attention that I had not "officially" attended to the matter of Freahelm still being part of Rohan's army (he was never released, just assigned to Theodred during his travels). Rather than have our dear boy be a deserter and have to face charges of being AWOL, I have rectified that situation here. Not that any of us truly thought Eomer was going to raise a fuss, but it is always best to tie up these loose ends! Thanks for keeping me on my toes!**_

**The Adventures of Theodred, Son of Eomer**

**Chapter 19 (Sept, 45 IV)**

"You wished to see me, Uncle?" Freahelm asked, poking his head into Faramir's study.

Although there was no familial connection between the young man and the Steward, after all the time he had spent in Faramir's household, neither Faramir nor Eowyn had wished for him to continue calling them "my lord" and "my lady". Freahelm was not comfortable becoming completely informal with them, and so they had managed to reach a compromise. Calling them simply "Uncle" and "Aunt" was formal enough for Freahelm, and informal enough for them, as well as satisfactory to them all.

"Yes, Freahelm. Come in." Faramir waved him to a chair. "I hear you have good tidings – Belwen has consented to be your wife."

Freahelm blushed and nodded. "I meant to tell you, but in the hustle and bustle of everyone returning all at once, I guess it got overlooked. We have not yet fixed a date, but I am to work with Gimilzor in the bakery, and will continue living here in Minas Tirith. I went home last month to tell my family, and King Eomer was good enough to release me from my place in the army, and as Theodred's guard."

Faramir nodded, and then commented, "Surprisingly enough, Theodred does not so have his head in the clouds over his own lady that he has neglected to tell me about some of your difficulties. I am assuming he has not broken any confidences in doing so, and I think perhaps I may be of some assistance to you."

Quirking an eyebrow questioningly, Freahelm waited for him to continue.

Folding his hands together, Faramir leaned forward across his desk, explaining, "Theodred says you need a house. He did not know very much about what your precise circumstances will be, but perhaps you do not mind telling me."

"I am not sure that I am able to just yet. Things are still unsettled. I do not know much about the bakery, or what sort of income I can expect from working there, so I do not know what I can afford to pay for a house. I will still have some income from breeding Pyttewan, but…well, it is all very complicated, and I fear I am a bit in over my head. I was a soldier, and not much schooled in business matters!" Freahelm confessed sheepishly.

"Perhaps not," Faramir reassured, "but you have friends who have somewhat more knowledge in such things. Here is what I propose, and you may discuss this with Gimilzor, or bring him here to speak with me also; I have certain properties, within the city and elsewhere, that I usually rent out. Normally they are occupied and not available but, as it happens, one was being rented by an elderly gentleman who just recently passed away, leaving it vacant. He had lived there quite a number of years, so I am sure that the place will need to be worked on before I let it out again to someone else, but it should certainly be large enough for you, and a family that will eventually come. In fact, it will likely be too large. If you do not object, you may want to consider having Gimilzor and Thandwen live there also, to save the expense of what they are presently paying where they now live and put it toward rent on this place, particularly since the rent is likely more, despite my giving you a good deal. Another advantage is that this house has a nice stable attached to it, large enough for several horses, though if you modify it to do breeding there in the stable, it will likely hold fewer horses. Still, that will make it more convenient for you to continue that source of income, and if you obtain more horses, through purchase or gift, you may be able to expand your operation."

Freahelm sat silently staring at his hands, more than a little overwhelmed at this generous offer. At length, he said quietly, "Uncle, I do not expect you to–"

"This is not charity, Freahelm. I am, perhaps, giving you first consideration because of my undue fondness for you" – he gave the young man a teasing grin – "but this is a business deal, and I will offer you reasonable terms. And, if you should take it upon yourself to occasionally favor me with a cinnamon roll or two, when no one is watching, I will not consider it a bribe…"

They both burst out laughing simultaneously, and the tension was eased. "Thank you," Freahelm told him sincerely.

"Discuss this with Gimilzor and see if he wishes to have me look at his books, and then take the both of you to see the house. Then we will all have a better idea of whether or not this will even be a workable solution for you. But it is at least something to be considered, and I thought it worth mentioning before I made any other arrangements regarding the property." Standing, Faramir moved around the desk, and as Freahelm also rose, he pulled the young man into an embrace. "You have become like a son, or a nephew, to me. It is a pleasure to be able to assist you in getting started in life. And you will always be welcome in my home, even after you are wed – unless Eowyn finds out about the cinnamon rolls, that is. She claims I am getting thick around the middle and need to watch what I eat!" He grinned guiltily, rubbing at his stomach, and they both laughed again.

xx

With the festivities of Yaviere not far off, Minas Tirith was beginning to quickly fill with visitors. A week before the celebrations began, a large party from Rohan appeared on the horizon. The escort encamped on the Pelennor, while the royal couple entered the city, along with their friends, Eothain and Zimraphel.

Elphir and his family were in town also, and the Dol Amroth townhouse was full with guests from the south. Elessar and Arwen had room for Eomer and Lothiriel, while Faramir and Eowyn were happy to accommodate Freahelm's parents. Thus settled, Freahelm's family set about becoming acquainted with their soon-to-be in-laws, and quickly took a shine to the lovely girl who had won their son's heart.

It had been determined that, with some effort, the bakery could make enough to afford the rent on the house Faramir was offering to them, and Gimilzor had agreed to the terms. As there was both an upper and lower floor to the building, it was decided that Freahelm and Belwen could live upstairs, and Gimilzor and Thandwen downstairs, thus affording the couple a bit of privacy.

As Theodred was making more use of Scildan, he was less available for breeding, and thus as a source of income. Knowing that, Eomer had chosen to bring a stallion and a mare along as wedding gifts for the couple. The two horses would provide additional breeding capability to supplement their income from the bakery, and Freahelm was actually a bit relieved that he would continue to have active contact with horses during his lengthy stay in the city. He could survive his time within these stone walls so long as he had some decent horseflesh nearby.

At first, Belwen had found her prospective father-in-law a bit intimidating, not unlike Freahelm had been upon first meeting him, but it was soon evident that he was just as warm and gentle as his son, despite his bear-like appearance. It was not difficult at all to like his mother, and she quickly felt perfectly at ease with the small woman. Moreover, it was nice to have a 'mother' again, to be with her as she prepared for marriage. She had missed her own mother many times over the years, but she had been feeling the loss keenly since her betrothal, and to have this woman take her in hand was both reassuring and heartwarming.

Theodred had not been expecting his parents' arrival at Minas Tirith, but certainly he was not displeased by it. The sudden developments in his association with Esgalmir were such that he welcomed the opportunity to introduce her to them. While he had been at Edoras earlier in the year, he had spent some time speaking of her to his mother, but at the time, he had assumed nothing beyond a friendship existed. Now that he saw Esgalmir with new eyes, there was so much more he wished to confide to his mother, and he felt certain of Lothiriel's approbation.

Though Esgalmir was thoroughly comfortable with Theodred and, after all she had heard of his family, could not imagine disliking his parents, she was still mildly terrified at the prospect of meeting them. Theodred was aware of her nervousness about the matter and tried to think what might be the best way to accomplish it so as to be the least alarming for her. He finally decided to make use of the house Faramir had offered to Freahelm, sending his parents there in advance. The house was being worked on, receiving fresh paint and having some repair work done, and shortly after they had set out, Theodred retrieved Esgalmir from the stationery shop, offering a weak excuse for luring her away from work.

Theodred was not terribly surprised to discover his father was in the stables, directing activity there, and his mother was supervising servants working in the main part of the house. Shaking his head in amusement, he caught Esgalmir by the waist and guided her forward to introduce his mother. He felt her tense under his hand as she attempted a curtsy, "My lady!"

Lothiriel smiled perceptively at the young woman, and then chastized her son, "You did not warn her you were bringing her to meet me, did you, dearest? For shame!"

She moved in close and embraced Esgalmir warmly, saying, "Do not be distressed, my dear. He is a terrible tease, my youngest, but I am delighted to finally meet you." She pressed a kiss to the woman's head. "I assume he has also not told you that you will be meeting his father, the king. Do not be alarmed. He is no more fearsome than I am, though he does sometimes try to appear so."

Esgalmir could not restrain a smile at the comment, which she tried to hide. Stepping to her right side, Lothiriel linked Esgalmir's arm through her own and began moving toward the door to the stables. "Come. I will introduce you to Eomer myself. You cannot possibly be afraid of a man I have seen wearing a skirt."

Esgalmir gave a choking gasp at this remark; amused, curious, shocked – but certainly not frightened any longer. Lothiriel's words had the desired effect. When she came face to face with the king of Rohan, indeed an impressive man, she could not find him intimidating, though she certainly could _not_ envision him in a skirt either! Perhaps one day she would work up the nerve to inquire further into _that_ story! If the truth be known, the king of Rohan was really quite charming, and she could truthfully say that she liked him a great deal. She liked both of Theodred's parents, and she was grateful that he had let her meet them in a private setting rather than where others were watching.

They spent a good hour chatting and becoming better acquainted, and she discovered that the queen was quite an astute woman. Though there was much that Esgalmir left unsaid about her life, she got the distinct impression that Lothiriel read between the lines quite well, and would not be at all surprised at what she found when she met Esgalmir's brother.

Much as Esgalmir disliked the idea, there was no avoiding introducing Theodred's parents to Anbarad. It was still necessary to set a formal betrothal in place. Two days after Esgalmir's meeting with them, a note was sent informing Anbarad that the king and queen would be calling on him the following morning.

Not being aware when they arrived in Minas Tirith that Theodred had found a bride, Eomer and Lothiriel had not traveled prepared to make marriage arrangements, and so had no one with them for such purposes. They had sent to Edoras for someone just after arrival, but it was too soon for him to make the journey yet. Even so, they could begin the preliminary part of things by making this visit.

Anbarad, of course, did not wish the king of Rohan to know that his son's wife was made to work for a living, so Esgalmir was kept home from the shop that day to be on hand for the visit. Already, he had made her change her dress for one he considered finer looking, and was presently trying to get her to fix her hair differently when the servant announced the arrival of the royal couple and their son.

Shifting nervously, Anbarad hurried eagerly to the parlor doorway and Esgalmir fought to conceal a smirk at his behavior. She doubted very much the royals of Rohan would be taken in by her brother's sycophant attitude.

A moment later, Lothiriel swept into the room, followed by the king striding purposefully along, clearly not a man to be trifled with. Anbarad bowed fawningly before them. "Your majesties! It is such an honor to have you in my home!" His wife was looking quite awed by the whole thing, and executed a stiff curtsy, but stayed silent.

Smiling warmly, Lothiriel moved straight to Esgalmir and took her hands, kissing her cheek. "How good to see you again, dearest!" Eomer was smiling at her also, then turned and gave Anbarad a curt nod of greeting and plunked down on a small couch. Lothiriel moved over to sit beside her husband and Esgalmir took a seat in a nearby chair. Theodred went to stand behind his parents, casting surreptitious glances at Esgalmir when no one was looking. For a moment, Anbarad and his wife stood staring at the royal couple, at a loss for what to do next. Then, scooping up a tray of finger sandwiches, Anbarad's wife offered them to the couple. As it was just mid-morning, Esgalmir had suggested sandwiches might not be the best refreshment, but had been ignored, and, predictably, they were declined, to the hosts' dismay.

Clearing his throat, Eomer announced, "We cannot stay long, as Elessar is expecting us shortly, but we did want to stop in and make your acquaintance. We had the opportunity to meet Esgalmir the other day and are most impressed with your sister, Anbarad. She is a delightful young woman. I can see why my son has fallen in love with her."

Anbarad gave a weak smile in response, but before he could comment, Eomer added, "I have sent for one of my Aides, and he will go through the actual negotiations with you, as he knows how we do things in Rohan. We do have certain requirements for anyone who marries into the royal family. I am sure you understand that."

Anbarad nodded a bit uncertainly at this, not at all clear about what might be expected. He had been hoping to come out ahead with his sister marrying a royal, but then this was a royal of Rohan. He was not exactly sure how that differed…

Eomer smiled inwardly watching the turning of mental wheels reflected in the man's eyes. He had the man off-balance, and he fully intended to keep him there. If he thought to use this marriage for personal gain, he was sorely mistaken.

Now that the initial volley had been made, it was time to strategically retreat. And Lothiriel knew just how to start things moving.

"Lord Anbarad, can you possibly spare your dear sister for a month or so to come to Edoras as my companion, so I may get to know her better? Once she and Theodred are wed, they will be spending a great deal of their time in Minas Tirith, and I will not have much opportunity to become closer acquainted then. At my age, it is so difficult to get around," Lothiriel smiled disarmingly at him.

Eomer suddenly developed a severe coughing fit, and Theodred fell to earnestly thumping his father on the back, though mostly as a means to hide his own amusement.

Anbarad was torn between the horror that the King of Rohan seemed about to expire in his parlor, and the mortification that he was neglecting to properly attend the Queen while being thus distracted. The simplest solution seemed to be to grant the Queen whatever she wished so he could focus on the King's needs, so he hastily did so. "Of course, Your Majesty! Whatever you wish! She may stay in Rohan however long you like!"

"Excellent!" Lothiriel responded. With an evil grin, she turned to her husband and said, "Eomer, do stop that dreadful coughing. It is most annoying, dearest, and quite disruptive to conversation. Come. Let us be going. Elessar is waiting." And with that, she swept toward the door, leaving Anbarad wide-eyed and gaping. Eomer wasted no time in striding after her, anxious to get out of the man's sight before he totally lost control and burst into laughter. Oh, he did love to watch Lothiriel run roughshod over pompous noblemen! She was such an artisan!

The royal trio made it as far as a small public garden on the fifth level before succumbing to their laughter. Eomer snared his wife by the waist from behind, sliding her hair out the way and planting a kiss on her neck. "Beloved, you were magnificent! More and more I am inclined to think we made a grave tactical error during the War in not merely sending you after the Great Eye! Surely he would have been brought low far sooner!"

Theodred watched in amusement as the two chuckled together at Eomer's feigned awe of his wife, though all three knew the high esteem in which he held her was very real. He smiled as his parents cuddled together lovingly, completely unembarrassed that anyone might come upon them.

Oh, how very grateful he was that Kata had fallen in love with Arawine and disrupted his convenient plans. The unexpected passion he felt for Esgalmir was so much more worth nurturing for a lifetime; the same passion that his parents shared. He could not imagine why he had ever considered settling for less.

After several moments, his mother glanced up at him and said, mildly apologetically, "I hope I was not too high-handed, dearest. Perhaps I should have consulted with you before commiting Esgalmir to such a lengthy stay in Edoras, but after meeting her brother, I could not leave her in that house a moment longer. Shall you be able to keep busy in Rohan through the winter, until you are wed?"

He moved forward, and his father relinguished Lothiriel for Theodred to take her into his embrace, saying into her shoulder, "I shall keep plenty busy, Mother. And I thank you for what you did. Anbarad might have balked had I attempted such a thing, but it angered me also to leave her there, under his thumb, like some common servant rather than his own sister. But who can resist the Queen of Rohan when she sets her mind to something!"

They all broke into laughter once more and continued on their way toward the Citadel, in agreement that it had been a most satisfactory morning.

xx

When Esgalmir joined them later, she was looking a bit uncertain about what had taken place at her brother's home. Seeming to sense her trepidation, Lothiriel approached her and smiled, saying, "Do not be alarmed, dearest. The barbarian queen from the north is _not_ taking you captive! You are coming as my guest, but when you leave Anbarad's house, leave nothing behind that is dear to you. Unless you choose to return, you will not be doing so. I dare say I can find ample excuses for you to remain at my side until you are wed to Theodred, unless _you_ desperately wish to return to your brother's household. There are certain advantages to being queen, and I have no qualms about making use of them when I find it necessary or worthwhile to do so. You have lived as a servant long enough. It is time the 'hidden treasure' lived as the cherished family member she should always have been."

Esgalmir's heart nearly stopped beating within her at the queen's words, and her throat painfully constricted. Never before had anyone shown her such kindness. She wanted desperately to embrace this woman and weep her gratitude into her shoulder, but surely such would not be proper behavior with a queen. Ah, but this was the queen of Rohan, and not to be underestimated. With a warm smile, Lothiriel reached for her and enveloped her in her arms, holding her until her tears eased. As the woman slowly began to pull back, somewhat embarrassed, Lothiriel smiled down and pressed a kissed to her head, whispering, "No, Anbarad did not value the treasure he had all these years, and now he has lost you. We will not be returning you to him."

_**THE END**_

_**7-2-06**_

Yaviere – the harvest feast of Gondor

**_END NOTE:  
_**

**_Keep in mind that none of the Elfwine Chronicles really ends. "The End" really only refers to Adv. of Theodred, and in going back to reread ch. 1, I realized that this was an appropriate place to conclude his "adventures". He started this whole thing sort of wandering aimlessly along trying to find himself. Now he has a direction in life and has found love - the two things he was most seeking._**

**_Will there be more to his life story? Absolutely, and just like the other children of E/L, there will be more stories told about them (and there are already more stories in the works about these two). However, the other stories I wanted to tell about them didn't seem to fit under the umbrella of "Adv. of Theodred", so I decided to conclude the storyline of #78 here and you will get more in other "episodes"._**

**_So, yes, you will see more Esgalmir, just as you have/will see more of all the other spouses of E/L's children._**

**_- Deandra_**


End file.
